Posts Tagged ‘Sex’

The Most Commonly Asked Questions Sex-Ed Students Ask

January 17, 2020

 

Whilst I think Sex-Ed should be primarily the responsibility of parents, I can appreciate the reason why schools feel a responsibility to educate students about safe sex and relieve some of their students’ concerns.

If I were teaching Sex-Ed, I would begin by going over some of the most popular questions asked by children to reassure students that their questions are neither unique nor childish or ignorant.

The following fascinating article addresses some of these questions:

Regardless of whether they grew up in the ’80s or the aughts, kids of certain ages always ask versions of the same questions, Roffman has found. For instance, middle-school students, she said, want to know if their bodies and behaviours are “normal.” Many older students ask her at what age it’s normal to start masturbating.

High schoolers routinely ask about romantic communication, relationships, and the right time for intimacy: “Who makes the first move?” “How do you know if you or the other person is ready for the ‘next level’?” “How can you let someone down easy when you want to break up?”  

But some contemporary questions, Roffman said, are very different from those she heard earlier in her career. Sometimes the questions change when the news does. (More than 30 years ago, Roffman started reading two newspapers a day to keep up with the rapid pace of news about HIV and AIDS; she’s maintained the habit since.)

She said she received a flood of questions about sexual harassment after the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the early 1990s. The same decade ended with a spike in student interest in oral sex and behaviors that had previously been considered more taboo, such as anal sex.

Sometimes changing student questions signal broader cultural shifts, like the recent surge in student queries about gender identities. “There would have been questions 20 years ago about sexual orientation, but not about gender diversity,” Roffman said. But one recent eighth-grade cohort submitted questions like “How many genders are there?” “What does ‘gender roles’ mean?” “What is the plus sign for in LGBTQIA+?” and “Why is ‘gay’ called ‘gay’?” She finds a way to answer them all.

 

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Posted in Sex Education | Leave a Comment »

Supreme Court Gives Permission for Teachers to Have Sex With Students

April 2, 2012

I don’t care if the student is 18 or 80, a teacher has no place engaging in sexual activity with a student. It is inappropriate and immoral, and should at the very least cost the teacher their job. A teacher can not properly conduct a classroom when they are intimate with one of their students.

I am very disappointed to read that an Arkansas Supreme Court decided it is okay for teachers and students to have sex, as long as the student is 18.

The ruling is in response to an appeal by David Paschal, an Elkins High School teacher found guilty of having consensual sex with an 18-year-old student.

State attorneys argued the law protects high school girls and boys from sexual advances by teachers. But the high court says regardless of how it feels about Paschal’s conduct, they can not abandon their duty to uphold the law.

Therefore, Paschal will have his convictions reversed and dismissed.

At a local high school baseball game on Saturday, parents reacted to the news.

“These teachers should know better because there is a difference when you are being a teacher and a friend; and somebody that is having sex with your students,” said Denise Colson.

Amy Dardenne added, “If the child wants to have sex when they are 18 with their teacher, that is fine. They are adults at 18, so they might as well do what they want to do.”

It’s unclear whether anyone in the legislature will attempt to rework the law. A spokesperson for Governor Mike Beebe says it is way to early to talk about any kind of response from the State Capitol.

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel says his office respects the court’s decision, although they disagree with it and are evaluating all options.

It is not”fine” for an 18 year-old to bed their teacher. It is tantamount to a breach of trust on the part of the teacher. That teacher is bestowed with the responsibility of grading impartially, treating each student fairly, being a good role model and responsible citizen.

None of which can be said of a teacher who has sex with a student.

In my opinion, a high school teacher who is found to have been engaged in a sexual relationship with their student should be imprisoned for their actions.

Click on the link to read How Can a Child Sex Lobby Exist in the First Place?

Click on the link to read Should Classrooms Be Fitted With Surveillance Cameras?

Click on the link to read Teacher Orders 20 Classmates to Beat Up Bully

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Posted in Ethics in the Classroom, Professional Conduct | 6 Comments »

The Teacher They Haven’t Sacked, But Should

February 9, 2012

Call me a prude but I am of the opinion that when you sign up to be a teacher you are making a commitment to act with a greater degree of responsibility than most other professions. Whilst it may perfectly alright for a tradesman or receptionist to have a double life as a porn star, a high school teacher should know better and act better.

What makes this story worse is that this teacher was filmed with a former student. I find it unsavoury for teachers to hook up with their former students at the best of times. To make a porn video with them just adds another layer to what is a clear breach of standard teaching protocol.

Or is it?

The graphic video of the teacher and the student, who graduated in 2008, went viral on social media websites after students discovered it.

A preview video shows the couple naked, in sex acts, and with the girl blindfolded.

The ex-student explained yesterday that everyone who knew them understood the couple were in a committed relationship. The couple live together and jointly own a business.

“We’re consenting adults,” she said.

Oberon High School principal Alison Murphy said she took immediate action when she became aware of the video on Tuesday, but said the video did not change her view of the “successful” VCE teacher.

“He is not here today. It’s uncertain when he will return,” she said. “The matter is under investigation.”

She said the teacher was “well regarded”.

Ms Murphy said it would be inappropriate to suspend the teacher until investigations were completed.

Could someone please explain to me why it would be inappropriate to suspend the teacher?

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Posted in Professional Conduct | Leave a Comment »

13-Year-Old Girls Given Contraceptive Implants at School Without Consent of Parents

February 8, 2012

There may exist a rule of patient-child confidentiality, but it just doesn’t seem right that such important information would be withheld from the parents. What makes it even tougher to comprehend is that this service is all done at school.

Girls as young as 13 are being given contraceptive implants at school without their parents’ knowledge.

Nurses insert devices into their arms which temporarily prevent pregnancy by releasing hormones into the blood.

Last year 1,700 girls aged 13 and 14 were fitted with implants, while 800 had injections which have the same effect.

The 2010/11 NHS figures also show that 3,200 15-year-old girls were fitted with implants, and 1,700 had injections.

But under strict ‘patient confidentiality’ rules, staff are banned from seeking the permission of parents beforehand – or even informing them afterwards.

Both forms of contraception can bring on unpleasant side-effects including weight gain, depression, acne and irregular periods.

The jabs have also been linked to bone-thinning, although experts say fractures are unlikely if they are used only for a short time.

The implants and injections are being offered to girls in nine secondary schools and three sixth form colleges in Southampton under a scheme run by NHS Solent. The sexual health clinics also offer other forms of contraception, advice and tests for infections.

I think the patient/child confidentiality should have loopholes and shouldn’t include children under the age of 16. As parents, we have the right to be informed and the right to overrule. People might say that this is a very important service against unwanted pregnancies. That may be so. But in my opinion, the best way for 13 year-olds to avoid unwanted pregnancies is to allow the parents to do their job. The best remedy against teenage pregnancy is vigilant parenting.

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Posted in Parenting | 2 Comments »

5th Graders Caught Playing “Rape Tag”

February 3, 2012

One has to wonder what level of  outside supervision schools have if it overlooks a game involving “dry humping”. For this to be stopped only after a complaint from a parent suggests that some teachers should put down their mugs of coffee and actually observe the children during yard duty.

A disturbing playground activity has parents riled over what is going on during recess at an elementary school.

Washington Elementary School in New Ulm, Minnesota, is at the centre of controversy as it was learned fifth grade students had played ‘rape tag’ during recess.

The game is very similar to freeze tag, except to unfreeze someone, a student would have to simulate a sex act on the frozen person.

A parent reported the incident to school officials after finding their child was talking about the game on Facebook.

So what flimsy excuse does the Principal give for something that should have been banned minutes after it was first trialled in the playground?
The school’s principal, Bill Sprung, told KEYC-TV: ‘This age level of kids – 10, 11, 12—is a time when kids start to mature; start to experiment. 

He added: ‘Part of that experimentation is that they do things we wish they wouldn’t have done.’

There is a great level of trust that parents bestow to teachers and schools. They expect, amongst other things, that respect for women and girls is inherent in all activities both inside and outside of the classroom. These parents have been justifiably let down by a school that overlooked the obvious and acted reactively rather than proactively.

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Posted in Child Welfare, Parenting, Sex Education | Leave a Comment »

Teachers Advised to Discuss the “Positive Side of Sex” With Their Under-Aged Students!

December 18, 2011

I’m sick of groups filling us up with propaganda to justify their cause. Whether it’s breastfeeding, natural birth or the education equivalent – sex-ed, hardly a day goes by without a study released pointing to the same old conclusions. Whilst these causes all have merit, there comes a time when one gets sick of being lectured to via an endless cycle of propaganda.

There is some validity behind the push to enforce sex ed on classrooms around the world. Like any other area, knowledge about safe sex in particular, makes a great deal of sense. But having witnessed various programs in action, I can’t help but think that sex-ed is extremely overrated.

The idea, as a recent study claims, that children in the absence of sex-ed turn to porn is ludicrous:

Australian researchers Maree Crabbe and David Corlett said children were turning to adult films because schools were not handling the positive aspects of sex.

The researchers presented their findings at a conference at London University’s Institute of Education.

“Discussion of sex and intimacy is too often avoided in schools,” they said.

“Porn has become a cultural mediator in how young people are understanding and experience sex. Porn is our most prominent sex educator.”

Diane Abbott, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, said: “The rising numbers of girls having under-age sex is alarming. It is not a cost-free phenomenon.

“It poses public health policy challenges and social challenges. The underlying cause must be the ‘pornification’ of British culture and the increasing sexualisation of preadolescent girls.

“Too many young girls are absorbing from the popular culture around them that they only have value as sex objects. Inevitably they act this notion out.

“Government needs to respond to spiralling under-age sex, not with pointless schemes to teach abstinence, but with better PSHE teaching in schools for both girls and boys.”

I find the conclusions of this study extremely difficult to believe for the following reasons:

1. It seems to be inferring that if provided with a sex-ed course children wouldn’t turn to porn. Yeah right!

2. That mandatory PSHE classes would radically minimise the number of under-age sex and boys would come to show more respect to girls having taken the course.

“Up until my sex-ed course, I was treating women like objects, but since my classes, I am a changed person.” Yeah right!

3. I have sat through these classes and an inordinate amount of time is spent on the differences between the male and female anatomy. Whilst this is obviously of some value, most porn stars themselves don’t know the difference between a vulva, clitoris or vagina (even the female porn stars!).

4. Is it really the teachers job to “handle the positive aspects of sex?” If so, I quit! I’ve got more important things to do than promote sex to under-age children. This assertion is downright irresponsible. Can you imagine the outcry if kids came home telling their parents that they want to lose their virginity because their teacher told them that sex is a wonderful thing?”

5. Parents, follow my advice on this one. Your child’s sex education is primarily YOUR responsibility.

I refuse to promote sex in my classroom! I would sooner quit my profession than get involved in such downright immoral and undignified behaviour! If you are worried about girls being treated poorly and kids engaging in under-age sex, don’t point at a lack of sex-ed classes or blame the proliferation of porn. Instead remind parents to do the job they were entrusted with when they decided to bring life into this world.

Let’s cut the propaganda and get back to what we signed up to do – let’s teach the curriculum!

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Posted in Sex Education | 4 Comments »

What is the Obsession With Talking About Sex To Children?

October 4, 2011

Nearly every day there is some expert quoting some study about how important it is to talk about sex with your children.  Whilst I have no problem with the message, I wonder why it is constantly being regurgitated.

Why is it always, “teach your children about sex”?  What about teaching your children about manners, selflessness, hard work and respect for others?  Why aren’t these messages seen as important as the “birds and the bees”?

Now they’re telling parents they should talk to their 5-year olds about sex.  My child is 6 and she just discovered that the fish you eat is the same as the fish that swim.  Is this really the time to be discussing sex?

CHILDREN have sex for the first time between the ages of 14 and 15 says a new study, which also suggests that parents should talk to them about their sexuality from as early as the age of five.

I think I will shelve plans of having the “sex” talk for the time being.  I’ve got more pressing problems to tend to – like getting my daughter to eat fish again!

 

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Posted in Child Development, Parenting | 3 Comments »

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