Should Abstinence Be Taught In Schools (At all)?

Guybrush · 01-28-2010, 03:33 AM

When I have my own kids, I'd like school to teach them facts - like facts about STDs and pregnancy. I won't need teachers to pass on their moralistic views on sex to my kids. I like to think that will be my job as a parent.

Mojo · 01-28-2010, 06:33 AM

I think there has to be a middle ground.

I think its ridiculous to say that schools shouldn't be teaching our children either a) anything about sex, and there are people who believe that sex education is not something that should be taught to our children in any capacity whatsoever or b) that abstinence should not be a part of sexual education.

In England our teenage pregnancy statistics are awful. A hell of a lot of girls i went to school with had kids before they were finished uni or in some cases before they were finished school and had to drop out for those reasons. For a 16 year old kid this can change your entire life. And what sex ed did we have at school? We had quite possibly the worst teacher they could have chosen for the job to get us to write anonymous questions which were then put in a box and he would read them out infront of the class and answer them. I think it was touched on in R.E too but of course getting sex ed in a R.E classroom in a catholic school, im sure you can imagine what that involved.

Give kids options. Don't allow sexual education to become a ways and means of forcing one single opinion on them but actually try EDUCATING them to make their own decisions or giving them enough information to then feel comfortable to go home and talk to their parents about it. And yes, i strongly believe that one of these options should be abstinence, it's irresponsible to leave it out.

duga · 01-28-2010, 10:17 PM

i agree with most of what everyone is saying...we all seem to generally be in agreement.

i think i can narrow it down to a couple things.

1) teach all the logistical things...safe sex, sti education...just all the stuff that as an ignorant human i would want to know about it. that way you are among peers of the same age taught by a professional and the parents can avoid that awkward conversation.

2) that doesn't mean the parents should be exempt. it should be up to them to instill the moralistic side of things in their kids.

Guybrush · 01-29-2010, 05:00 AM

When I was a kid, there was some religious nut working with youth in my home town who tried to make teenagers sign a contract saying they wouldn't have sex before marriage

More probably as a motivator than actual legal stuff, but still ..

I think it's pretty darn manipulative. Of course, my parents told my older brother not to sign it.

My own experiences with school and morality are not particularly good either, although they don't particularly relate to sex. We had a few religious nut teachers of the older school (who were teachers, not social workers and who are mostly retired or dead now) and they tended to make me a target of morality rather than a reciever

Some teachers should just keep their opinions to themselves.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 01-29-2010, 10:53 AM

I think it's worth pointing out that the kind of kids who most need teaching about what could happen if you have sex don't give a flying fuck what teachers or their parents say anyway.

noise · 01-29-2010, 11:15 AM

teaching abstinence would be pointless. sex is a huge topic of interest for young people. ranging hormones and curiosity about the opposite sex will most certainly override any ideas you try to implant about not exploring...

Arya Stark · 01-29-2010, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

I think it's worth pointing out that the kind of kids who most need teaching about what could happen if you have sex don't give a flying fuck what teachers or their parents say anyway.

Yes but that happens because they aren't taught enough about it.
They probably don't ask questions, and if they ever did, they were turned down or turned away.

cardboard adolescent · 01-29-2010, 12:15 PM

they're giving half the kids something to feel guilty about and the other half something to rebel against, but ultimately, who cares?

mr dave · 01-29-2010, 02:19 PM

could also be a large scale reverse psychology ploy on north american society. the population is getting older, young people aren't making nearly as many babies and waiting longer to do so. by forcing ignorance and taboo onto a generation it could serve to swell a population that's starting to stagnate.

Cadrian · 01-29-2010, 03:53 PM

Last I heard the Population of America is only growing due to immigrants and not due to births.

I come from a teen mom I remember how it was... Mom had 3 Jobs at one time and Dad worked Construction.

There should be a middle ground... You cant tell High Schools not to have sex because they will... You just have to let them understand the dangers.

My dads way of doing this was.... "Son dont **** up like me and have a kid, Wear a rubber" Classic quote from my dad

My Mom was in nursing school when I was a teen.... So her method was pulling out the medical book and showing me pics of Herpes.

Both methods worked well.... I always wear a rubber

View Poll Results: Should abstinence be taught in schools?
Yes	5	17.86%
No	23	82.14%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

01-28-2010, 03:33 AM	#31 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	When I have my own kids, I'd like school to teach them facts - like facts about STDs and pregnancy. I won't need teachers to pass on their moralistic views on sex to my kids. I like to think that will be my job as a parent. __________________ Something Completely Different

01-28-2010, 06:33 AM	#32 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	I think there has to be a middle ground. I think its ridiculous to say that schools shouldn't be teaching our children either a) anything about sex, and there are people who believe that sex education is not something that should be taught to our children in any capacity whatsoever or b) that abstinence should not be a part of sexual education. In England our teenage pregnancy statistics are awful. A hell of a lot of girls i went to school with had kids before they were finished uni or in some cases before they were finished school and had to drop out for those reasons. For a 16 year old kid this can change your entire life. And what sex ed did we have at school? We had quite possibly the worst teacher they could have chosen for the job to get us to write anonymous questions which were then put in a box and he would read them out infront of the class and answer them. I think it was touched on in R.E too but of course getting sex ed in a R.E classroom in a catholic school, im sure you can imagine what that involved. Give kids options. Don't allow sexual education to become a ways and means of forcing one single opinion on them but actually try EDUCATING them to make their own decisions or giving them enough information to then feel comfortable to go home and talk to their parents about it. And yes, i strongly believe that one of these options should be abstinence, it's irresponsible to leave it out. __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust Last edited by Mojo; 01-28-2010 at 12:42 PM.

01-28-2010, 10:17 PM	#33 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	i agree with most of what everyone is saying...we all seem to generally be in agreement. i think i can narrow it down to a couple things. 1) teach all the logistical things...safe sex, sti education...just all the stuff that as an ignorant human i would want to know about it. that way you are among peers of the same age taught by a professional and the parents can avoid that awkward conversation. 2) that doesn't mean the parents should be exempt. it should be up to them to instill the moralistic side of things in their kids. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

01-29-2010, 05:00 AM	#34 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	When I was a kid, there was some religious nut working with youth in my home town who tried to make teenagers sign a contract saying they wouldn't have sex before marriage More probably as a motivator than actual legal stuff, but still .. I think it's pretty darn manipulative. Of course, my parents told my older brother not to sign it. My own experiences with school and morality are not particularly good either, although they don't particularly relate to sex. We had a few religious nut teachers of the older school (who were teachers, not social workers and who are mostly retired or dead now) and they tended to make me a target of morality rather than a reciever Some teachers should just keep their opinions to themselves. __________________ Something Completely Different

01-29-2010, 10:53 AM	#35 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I think it's worth pointing out that the kind of kids who most need teaching about what could happen if you have sex don't give a flying fuck what teachers or their parents say anyway. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

01-29-2010, 11:15 AM	#36 (permalink)
noise thirsty ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Boulder Posts: 742	teaching abstinence would be pointless. sex is a huge topic of interest for young people. ranging hormones and curiosity about the opposite sex will most certainly override any ideas you try to implant about not exploring... __________________ my flac collection

01-29-2010, 12:15 PM	#38 (permalink)
cardboard adolescent ;) Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Posts: 3,503	they're giving half the kids something to feel guilty about and the other half something to rebel against, but ultimately, who cares?

01-29-2010, 03:53 PM	#40 (permalink)
Cadrian Music Addict Join Date: May 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 111	Last I heard the Population of America is only growing due to immigrants and not due to births. I come from a teen mom I remember how it was... Mom had 3 Jobs at one time and Dad worked Construction. There should be a middle ground... You cant tell High Schools not to have sex because they will... You just have to let them understand the dangers. My dads way of doing this was.... "Son dont **** up like me and have a kid, Wear a rubber" Classic quote from my dad My Mom was in nursing school when I was a teen.... So her method was pulling out the medical book and showing me pics of Herpes. Both methods worked well.... I always wear a rubber