Creative Question 20 – Teen Porn, Pregnancy & Sex Ed

CQ 20 – Teen porn and pregnancy are on the rise yet basic factual sex education is severely restricted they claim due to mature content?  What is the solution?

Knowledge is Power. Kids are learning all about sex by the time they reach the age of eleven (some earlier) and generally from bad sources – gossip and taunting at school and these days, the internet. I think we had a brief session of sex ed my sophomore year in high school. It was not nearly enough. I’d been taunted and teased sexually by male classmates from age eleven and molested by my sister’s boyfriend at age twelve. I wish I’d had some sex education before any of that began, along with some information on how to handle sexual advances.

Sex education should be taught as early as possible, but no later than  middle school as it is referred to in the US (6 and 7th grades), and it should continue to be taught until kids graduate from high school. But I think it has to go further than just teaching kids about the body’s anatomy and how sex works. There need to be programs on how to handle sexual advances, the proper ways to respect one’s own body and the bodies of others, and boys need to be taught that girls are not objects for their sexual desires and intentions. Parents need to be involved as well. They need to be taught to see signs in their children that sexual advances or molestations have occurred. They need to be taught how to monitor their kids’ time online and what sites their kids should avoid. Whether we adults like it or not, sexual issues begin earlier and earlier these days, and we have to stop being prudish about it.

The Daily Me (Journal) Family Role – 12/10/2016

Today’s prompt comes from 100 Inspirational Journal Prompts by Melissa Bolton @ The Mogul Mom

What role do you play in your family?

My first response is nonexistent, but that is not altogether true. Growing up, I was the mediator in the family. Squabbles occurred frequently between my parents and my siblings. I never enjoyed confrontations and hated arguments. I would wait for everyone to go to neutral corners of the house and then attempt to work out amicable deals. I just wanted everyone to get along. My dad was always the first to break. Like myself, he didn’t like confrontations. My brother, although quite a hot-head, would usually break next. My mother and sister were equally stubborn. Neither wanted to give in. Depending on which one started the arguments with others in the family, they both usually got their ways. If it was an argument between mother and sister, mother usually got the upper-hand. Usually.

Around the age of 14 and until I left home at 18, I became less noticeable at home, often ignored outright. No one wanted to hear my opinions or allowed me to mediate. I became aloof, quiet and often spent most of my time avoiding the entire family. This would continue on throughout my life. I lived away from them, generally doing my own thing and tried not to get involved with family feuds. There was a huge feud once between my brother and sister and they did try to drag me into it. Each wanted me to take their side. I refused and went on with my life. They did eventually work it out, although there is still some tension between them to this day. And right before mother died, dad and my sister had a bit of a tussle over mother’s care. I know dad still resents her a bit, even though now he makes excuses for her behavior back then.

Even now, living once again with Dad and my brother, the three of us mostly get along. I’ve been home just over two years and we’ve only had three brief squabbles. Once between dad and I, and twice between my brother and I. Although he has a lot of reasons to do so, dad never confronts my brother about anything. He’s expressed his frustration to me, but doesn’t say anything to my brother. We’ve all apologized to one another over our little scuffles and let the arguments go. It’s hard to stay mad when we live in such tight proximity to one another. I don’t speak much to my sister, and we’ve had no real disagreements since I’ve returned home. I’ve been upset with her a couple of times, but I haven’t made big issues out of them or confronted her about them. I think mother was the main instigator for most of the family conflicts and the reason some of them lasted so long. Since she’s passed, a bit of peace has returned to the family.