Quote:
Originally Posted by Beauty Mark
I think also part of the problem is that kids aren't prepared to deal with the consequences.
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There's two ways of reading that sentence - they aren't prepared for the conquences, as in they don't want to know about them or are convinced it won't happen to them. The other, more pressing way to read it as that children aren't prepared to deal with the consequences because they aren't given the cognitive or educational tools to deal with sex.
Given the rise in (predominantly American) schools/households to abstinence-based sex education that just says 'don't do it because I said so, so there', as opposed to 'don't do it until you're really ready and confident, but I want you to be prepared and informed about sex as well, so let's talk about why you need a condom at all times'. Sexual guidance comes from the generation before it, and if the
only messages that they receive are 'if you even think about boys you're a dirty slut'
or 'boys will like you if you dress like a 1/8th size video girl', then it's little wonder that they're so confused. I barely have the mental fortitude to grapple with that sort of double-standard, and I have the luxury of a fully-grown brain.
Combining that very unattainable goal - children and teenagers will not have sex because we told them so, so I don't need to bother equiping them with the tools to understand the confusing mess that is sex and sexuality - with rising generations of children who don't have a strong stable influence to guide them through the minefield of puberty (appropriateness, moderating yourself, respecting yourself), and you have a lot of children and teenagers that have had a
great disservice done to them. It's just unfortunate that the biggest disservice is being done to young girls, as they're still the ones who cop all of the petty, judgemental bile.
