What studies offer is a broader view with a great chance of that view being less-biased.
Many parents in this culture are very reluctant to talk to kids about sex, because they hold various degrees of the perspective you hold too. It's the worry that if kids get the idea that sex is great, here's a condom, go have fun - that they'll run out and jump into every bed of the person they're attracted to to get their rocks off.
Of course, that's an exaggeration, but I offered it to paint a picture of parents' imaginations running wild.
What these studies offer is not to make parents feel good - but to tell parents to get over themselves and teach their children how to be responsible sexually. We teach them how to cook food responsibly, how to drive a car responsibly, and how to manage money responsibly. All of these behaviors can result in illness, homelessness, or death if they don't handle these behaviors with care. Sexual activity is no different.
I have a theory that the biggest reason that parents are highly reluctant to talk to kids about sex is for the same reason they're afraid to talk with their partners/spouses about sex. It's the same reason why they're afraid to be honest with themselves about sex. We live in a culture that is manic about sex...either it's hypersexualized in everything, or it's overtly repressed in everything else.
My hope is that children will grow up not being ashamed of their sexuality, whether it's their orientation or how their bodies mature.
why do people resort right back to the being ashamed part?
who the heck is saying that?
No one.
I am simply saying that we teach our kids about sex and teach them that is is something shared with a partner the love, not just some guy that they just met and if parents do not want their kids going around having sex, that is perfectly acceptable.
What is not acceptable is telling kids that its ok for them to have sex at 13-18 years old.
There is a huge difference is teaching them to respect their bodies and making them ashamed of their bodies.
Odd how you didn't discuss the bullying part.
And yes, today's kids do treat sex like little adults.
the only ones imaging things are those thinking their kids are not having sex, and being responsible, until the girl comes home pregnant.
I stand by my perspective that I would teach my kids that abstinence is the best thing until they are adults and if the boy tells you that if you like him you will have sex with him, I would tell my daughter to tell him to get lost.
If others wish to give their kids condoms and tell them to have fun, because sex is mostly about pleasure, good for them.
Again, good for them, condoms are not 100% safe nor means they wont have sex without one, if they just happen to not have one at the time.
And if said boy of these parents dates my daughter and tries that "everyone else is doing it too" he will be looking for a new g/f, because my daughter will have respect for her body and will know she has her whole life to worry about sex, getting a good education is what kids do.
Oh yah, I live in the USA, I forgot, I mean just an education.
Maybe we are all on the same page, but it don't seem so.
I am against teen sex, they have their whole lives to worry about it.
The fact they are being pressured into sex, clearly is a problem.
Oh yah, that means they are ashamed of their bodies if they dont have sex, my bad