With all the talk about the downfall of society, most believe that teenagers are an unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irresponsible group, particularly when it comes to matters of sex.
While offering few sources, public speakers across the world constantly refer to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and the rise of teenage pregnancy. Are the messages we hear so often about the immorality of teens true? Or are they exaggerated or even completely fabricated?
In addition to the mainstream news media, there have been talk shows focusing on the “sex epidemic” among the young people of our world. Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks have hosted presentations about the sad rise in promiscuity of the under-20 crowd. It is clear, though, that their attention was focused on the exception rather than the rule. Banks’ show, for instance, was totally based on an internet poll on her website.
I am not claiming that America, or the world as a whole, has a firm grasp on morality, but I do believe that rampant promiscuity among teenagers is not as bad as many believe.
In a well-researched and highly regarded article in the New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope offers statistics and opinions from leading experts that back my claims.
The news is troubling, but it’s also misleading. While some young people are clearly engaging in risky sexual behavior, a vast majority are not. The reality is that in many ways, today’s teenagers are more conservative about sex than previous generations.
Today, fewer than half of all high school students have had sex: 47.8 percent as of 2007, according to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, down from 54.1 percent in 1991.
While the numbers are still higher than ideal, the rates are obviously declining. Also, the majority of young people are in the ‘good’ range.
You might be asking, “If all of this is true, why are teenage abortions on the rise?” Well, once again that is simply a myth. Abortion rates have dropped across the board (including with the teenage demographic).
Parker-Pope also spoke with Kathleen A. Bogle, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at LaSalle University.
“There’s no doubt that the public perception is that things are getting worse, and that kids are having sex younger and are much wilder than they ever were, but when you look at the data, that’s not the case.
“I give presentations nationwide where I’m showing people that the virginity rate in college is higher than you think and the number of partners is lower than you think and hooking up more often than not does not mean intercourse, but so many people think we’re morally in trouble, in a downward spiral and teens are out of control. It’s very difficult to convince people otherwise.”
The theory of teenage peril and doom has been beaten into our heads for so long that we have failed to notice the good decision making that is evident in the majority of them.
For too long, we’ve let the negative stories invade and devour the trust that many of today’s kids deserve. I don’t believe, by any means, that the current generation should be given their own personal carte blanche in regards to their sexual lifestyle, but I do believe they are much wiser than we realize.
