Telling kids (young teenagers) to wait seems to work. Read that first sentence. Twice. And, if parents tell their children to wait, it apparently has even greater effect than if the message is only delivered at school. As reported on ABC News the abstinence group was not given moral/religious lessons about waiting to have sex, but were told that sex is serious business and that they should wait to make the decision to have it (paraphrased). This beat out health-promotion classes. (Personally, I am all for delivering the facts- and contraception if necessary- but also telling them that early sexual activity is not a goal that they should strive to reach.) I must comment that this was probably a very unexpected finding which is likely why it is making the news.
Report: Sexual Abstinence Education Deemed Superior To Health Promotion Intervention
Tallgirl71
on Feb 3rd, 2010
@ 12:09 am:
So, were the abstinence group in this study telling kids to wait until they were married or until they were simply more mature? I always encouraged Spawn to wait until he was at least out of high school, and I’m pretty sure he did. Actually, I’m pretty sure that he and Pretty Girl did the deed for the first time on graduation night, but that’s not something I like thinking about. I’m maintaining that they’re really playing Parcheesie up in their room at night.
MsJilly
on Feb 3rd, 2010
@ 12:27 am:
i don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling kids that sex is something that’s important and should be held off for later. I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling kids the major consequences of having sex and or how to prevent some of these major consequences of sex. I’d rather teach my daughter that waiting is the best policy for many reasons and then go into detail about those reasons and then outline the best course of action to take if one doesn’t wait for sex. Although I can’t but help think that knowing your child’s course schedule and teachers, your child’s friends, his/her activities, where s/he goes and when (as well as having some control over that), and just being a decent parent can really cramp the style of a teenager intent on being sexually active. Again, this isn’t a sure-all, but being involved and haing healthy communication can go a long way in preventing things. When I worked at the high school, too many parents assumed that having a kid in high school meant that they were done being a parent. The truth is that the hard work of parenting really begins when your kid is in high school and your kids need you the most then.
sheila, i like that you point out that the message is stronger if both school AND home agree and work together. Most things work best when school and home are on the same page. The hardest part of working with emotionally disturbed teenagers was that the behavior plan at home wasn’t the same plan at school. If the goals, rules, and incentives don’t line up, nor does the reinforcemnt style, very little can be accomplished.
i noticed that at some point, parents and the school system (at least here) stopped working together. i’m not pointing fingers, both sides are to blame, but i think much could be aided by both sides getting along.