Perspective: Why — and how — parents should help teens develop a healthy understanding of sex
By Ellen Friedrichs March 14 at 9:00 AM Recently, I attended my 12-year-old daughter’s instrumental concert. The group sounded lovely, and you could tell how much work the kids had put into their performance. My daughter has been playing viola for five years. She has an ensemble class twice a week in school and takes weekly private lessons. She is also supposed to practice on her own.
The United States’ high rates of adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections are well documented. But what isn’t discussed as often is that the actual experiences of teen sex can be really negative. Frequently, teens hook up in secret, without a committed partner, maybe under the influence of substances and often with the fear of getting in trouble. Many are pressured into things they would rather not do. Others are having experiences that aren’t consensual.
Make sure teens understand consent. They need to know that sex can’t be truly consensual if there is pressure involved, or if either person is inebriated. It should be clear that if they aren’t completely certain that someone wants to have sex, or if they are questioning how far someone wants to go sexually, they don’t have consent. Teens should also be aware that while many people assume that a lack of a verbal “no” constitutes consent, that is not the case.
Create an environment in which your children can talk to you. Many parents fear that a conversation about sex will be uncomfortable or will make them seem overly permissive. But letting these fears prevent open dialogue tends to do more harm than good.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why The Just-Released February Jobs Numbers Are Disappointing -- And Why That MattersThe much-anticipated February Employment Situation Report was released today, showing only 20,000 jobs added. Despite this, unemployment fell to 3.8%. However, this has done little to relieve the concerns of those worried that the expansion may be slowing.
Read more »
Perspective | Why propaganda is more dangerous in the digital agePerspective: Why propaganda is more dangerous in the digital age
Read more »
Perspective | Why does Tucker Carlson act like he’s the victim?On screen, Carlson is a blend of smugness and bafflement, fear and outrage, concern and vitriol.
Read more »
Perspective | Why Trump probably won’t get in trouble for campaign finance violationsPerspective: Why Trump probably won’t get in trouble for campaign finance violations
Read more »
Opinion | High time to interview Kelly and many other former Trump officialsOpinion: High time to interview Kelly and many other former Trump officials
Read more »
Cramer Remix: The market's freak-out creates a fabulous buying opportunity in FunkoJim Cramer breaks down why Funko's stock is a steal at these levels.
Read more »
Opinion | The risk to our economy from secular stagnationAnd why a rethinking of conventional views on macroeconomic policy may be required.
Read more »
Google And 60 Minutes Take Aim At Gender Gap In Tech And MissWhy diversifying the tech industry can't be fixed with a simple solution.
Read more »