Sexuality in Young Adult Literature

[betta329]

I was attempting to post a comment to a blog about teen sexuality in Young Adult novels, but the comment wouldn't post. So I'm putting it here instead. The original post can be found here: http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2011/08/ ( Read more... )

Comments

[hope_guides_me]

THISSeriously. I cannot agree enough

[betta329]

Good for you! And thank you for posting this comment and making me feel like I wasn't the only one who has "these crazy liberal ideas." I was once told I had my head on backwards when I said I wanted to be open about sexuality and telling kids what could happen. "You're going to make them want it and go crazy for it." Rolls eyes. Have you ever looked up Herpes on an unprotected google search? Show that to kids and they'll never have sex. The students at my school, my cousins, friends, everyone comes to talk to me about sexual topics because they know I'm not going to judge and give them to it straight. I look forward to seeing my kids grow in this someday and help them on the way

[hope_guides_me]

The funny part? I consider myself more conservative. I WANT my kids to abstain, but I know it's unlikely that they will. After all, I didn't abstain. I'm trying to take a different approach than what my mother did. That only lead to lies and secrets... and her being incredibly surprised when I got pregnant.

In my experience, they're going to want it and go crazy for it all by themselves. You have to make sure they're will informed so that they can make the best decision for them. Did I want my 13 year old son being excited about his girlfriend promising to give him head? No. Did I remind him that we believe it's a sin to do those things out of marriage? Yes. I also told him that he should use protection when engaging in oral sex, too, because he didn't want to get a disease. I might have joked a bit and told him the last thing he wanted was a disease that would make his penis fall off. Then he'd never enjoy ANY kind of sex ever again.

I do believe that kids today are FAR more focused on sex than my generation was, but sex is

[betta329]

I think we could decrease teen pregnancy and disease if more people would take a "liberal" approach and actually TALK to their kids... you know, other than to make them feel like sex is this dirty, dirty thing they should never do ever.

I love you for this statement right here!