Editorial: Teens and sex/A poll produces startling results

Star Tribune ^ | November 18, 2003

[presidio9]

Every parent has an opinion about teenagers and sex. But last spring the editors of Seventeen magazine and researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation realized they didn't really know what teenagers think about the subject. They conducted a national survey of high school students and the results, published in Seventeen this month, contradict almost everything that adults thought they knew. Some 92 percent of the teenagers, including 89 percent of boys, said that being a virgin in high school is a good thing. Nearly 75 percent said their peers support them if they say no to sex. More than three-fourths said they want to remain virgins until they are 18 or older, including 24 percent who want to wait until they are married.

Results like that should calm those who believe the nation is in a spiral of moral decline. But they should also alert parents to an important responsibility they could be neglecting.

[presidio9]

Imagine that. An editorial on teen sex in the Star Tribune and no hysterical demands for more condom hand-outs. No admission that teaching abstinance might work either.

[r9etb]

No admission that teaching abstinance might work either.

Actually, it's implicit in the premise. But it also places primary responsibility for abstinence squarely on parents, which is where it belongs.

In a world where most parents accepted that responsibility, I suspect that schools' support for them by affirming abstinence.

This survey is, BTW, directly counter to the sort of stuff kids are being fed by pretty much all of media. Makes one wonder what percentage of "media mavens" are pedophiles or otherwise perverted.

[squidly]

Makes one wonder what percentage of "media mavens" are pedophiles or otherwise perverted.

I'll take "otherwise perverted." But a lot of it is just "sex sells."

[babble-on]

jeepers. I am surprised by these poll results. Surprised and incredulous actually.

[Paradox]

Most of the moral decline we see is in the MEDIA. For some reason, perhaps due to the gradual growth of conservativism in the country over the last 20 years, young kids are not as partaking of it as we have feared. What is probably happening is that MOST kids are, all around, "good". Then there are a certain percentage of "bad" kids that more than make up for the goodness of the others. So like, 75% dont go sleeping around and dont act in a disgusting manner, 15% aren't pure, but still arent too bad, then there are 10% who are out there humping anything that moves, and even some things that dont..

[ZGuy]

See the full results and report here

[Hildy]

The people who run programming for Hollywood tend to be in their mid to late 20's to early 30's and they are men. Now do you understand why we see nothing but T&A, cars and violence?

[newgeezer]

The people who run programming for Hollywood tend to be in their mid to late 20's to early 30's and they are men. Now do you understand why we see nothing but T&A, cars and violence?

Perhaps because that shtuff attracts viewers, and ratings attract sponsors?

Funny, but I always thought the "men" you mentioned are in it to make money. Just a hunch.

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP - TEENAGERS