Abstract
In a world where there is so much moral decadence, society needs to come up with a method to secure children from indulging in these acts of immorality. In the recent past, sexually explicit materials have been easily accessible to young children. The subject of sex is no longer a secret in contemporary society. Discussions about sex have become the order of the day. These include both constructive and destructive conversations with children. Because this issue has permeated the postmodern society at an alarming rate, it becomes necessary to educate young children about the same to prevent their indulgence in the vice.
Introduction
Child sex education has been necessitated by the state of immorality in the current world. Modernization and civilization have done away with the good old virtues and replaced them with fabricated versions of the same. Sexual issues are today portrayed in false light leading to the rampant practice of premarital sex among children. Because of this uprising trend, it becomes necessary to educate children on facts about sex and the appropriate time to indulge in this practice. This essay will discuss the significance of conducting effective child sex education. Furthermore, it will also discuss factors that have hampered the effectiveness of child sex education.
Moral Uprightness
Effective child sex education is the only way to secure a morally upright life for the children. This is because such education enables a child to grow up with a negative mindset about premarital sex and other sexual activities before marriage. It has been observed that a child who has been brought up by parents who constantly talk about sex and its negative impacts if done at the wrong time tends to grow up in a right manner compared to one who does not receive such counsel from parents (Margaret, 1955). This is because the education provided by the parents provides such a child with the strength to overlook sexual distractions.
Adverse Effects of Premarital Sex
Highlighting the adverse effects of premarital sex is one of the major aims of effective child sex education. Open discussions about these consequences with children enable them to know what to expect should they wander off the wrong path. The education about these repercussions also instills a sense of fear in the children (Glenn, 1943). It is this fear that makes the children think about the serious aftermaths of their premarital sexual actions before engaging in them. This sense of fear at the thought of such ramifications is what keeps them from indulging in sex before marriage. The overall effect, therefore, reduces cases of sexual practice among children or even teenagers.
Self-Control
Effective child sex education further instills self-control in children. Educating children on sexual matters and circumstances that can trigger them to indulge in sex prematurely enables them to avoid such circumstances. For instance, through effective child sex education, the children will be in a position to avoid pubs and sexed-up parties (Schaffer and Emerson, 1961). This is because such places expose them to sexual practices and provoke them to try out the same.
Avoidance Of Rape Cases
According to Domeena (1971), effective child sex education also empowers children with the knowledge and techniques to avoid lascivious individuals likely to exploit them sexually. Rampant cases of rape involving children have been on the rise and it is, therefore, necessary for children to keep vigil and watch out for the perpetrators of such gruesome crimes. This type of sex education is mostly helpful to female children and teenage girls at an increased vulnerability of being sexually victimized.
Contribution To Maturity
Effective child sex education greatly contributes to the maturity of children. By being taught about sexual matters, children get a sense of responsibility and duty to live a sexually upright lifestyle until the appropriate time. An effective child educator is keen to teach the children on being solely responsible for their sexual actions should they yield to the practice. Such education kills the curiosity that some children may be having about sex and replaces it with a devotion to staying chaste until the acceptable time.
Abstinence
Sexually Transmitted Diseases can be avoided through abstinence measures emphasized in child sex education. This type of sex education goes a long way in allaying the current high death rate caused by AIDS and the infection rate of the same. Individuals only retain their will to abstain from premarital sex if they are taught to do so during their childhood. If all the children living in this generation are educated on sexual matters at their present age, then chances are that the war against AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) would be a walkover.
Decrease In Abortion
Furthermore, effective child sex education has the potential of reducing the rate of abortions among teenagers in the coming few years. Presently, millions of babies are aborted annually due to unwanted and unplanned pregnancies. The education of children about such devastating results of premarital sex is likely to reduce this worrying trend.
Goal Setting And Achievement
Effective child sex education also empowers the children to set their goals at an earlier stage in life and focus on the achievement of such goals. Premarital sexual indulgence is a major cause of unfulfilled dreams and ambitions among most youths today (Ira, 1968). These temporary pleasures serve as distractions that deter them from taking the right path that could probably lead them to set and attain significant goals and objectives in life. The ability of children to recognize such premarital sexual activities as distractors will help shun them and focus on the most important aspects of their life.
Restoration Of High Moral Standards In Society
In addition, effective child sex education is an important tool in restoring the high moral standards that were upheld before the inception of modernization and civilization. There is a dire need for present-day society to restore its previous moral standards. The present rate of moral decadence only guarantees one thing within the next few decades; a putrefied society. Today’s children are the ones who have the potential of making eminent transformations that will cause a revolution in the restoration of moral standards in society. This can only be achieved if these children are empowered to stage up combat against premarital sexual indulgence.
Marriage Stabilization
Effective child sex education is also a sure way of stabilizing future marriages. A marriage between two young people who have been sexually active since early childhood is likely to end up in a divorce. This is because both individuals have lost the ability to appreciate one single man or woman for who they are and what they have. Effective child sex education prepares the children for effective marriages where the partners will have no problem with each other (Money, 1973).
Effect On Personal Dignity
Effective child sex education also enables a person to have respect for his or her own body. Premarital sex makes one lose personal dignity and the ability to see himself or herself as a productive member of society. Effective child sex education enables an individual to avoid such instances by maintaining his or her dignity. The children learn to value themselves. They also learn to abstain from mere short-lived sexual infatuations that are likely to ruin the rest of their lives.
Effect On General Character
Effective child sex education also gives them a desire to do what is right. Children who are effectively educated on sexual matters tend to have a yearning to always do what is right. This is because they consider themselves unique and mature. For example, a child who has been educated effectively about sex is not likely to watch pornography. Sexual education, therefore, helps to bring out the good aspect in every child.
Confidence Of Parents In Their Children
Lastly, effective child sex education is of great significance to the child’s family. The members of the family that regularly discusses sexual matters in an open forum have confidence in each other. For instance, parents who talk to their children about sexual issues are assured that they are leading their children on the right path. They have nothing to fear or be worried about. On the contrary, parents who fail to effectively educate their children on sexual matters never know what to expect from them. Such children are capable of doing anything. They are most likely to give in to their curiosity and sexual lusts.
Factors Hindering Effective Child Sex Education
Unfortunately, efforts to give children child sex education in the present-day world are proving futile. The social setting of the postmodern world does not give room for positive moral development in any child. This is because the bad and the evil have managed to overpower the good and taken root in society. The following are some of the reasons why effective child sex education has not caused a major impact on the perception of sexual matters by today’s children.
First and foremost, child sex education has not caused a big change in the sexual mannerisms of today’s children because of the increased availability and accessibility of pornographic materials (Peller, 1965). Children are exposed to pornographic pictures, videos, and words daily. With the widespread ownership of mobile phones by children, pornography is only a few buttons away. Children can access anything they want via the internet. Therefore, they can access pornographic material as often as they want. The fact that pornographic sites do not take measures to lock children out has played a big role in the use of pornographic materials by children. Children are hence caught in between the good and the evil. While they acknowledge from their child sex education that sex is only for married couples, they cannot resist the drive that comes from watching pornographic material. There are therefore two conflicting forces at work in the children. Although most of them end up engaging in premarital sex, some manage to stay put and overcome the effects of pornographic material.
Negligence on the part of parents has also played a big role to hinder the positive effects of child sex education. A majority of today’s parents are ever busy and scarcely get enough time to spend with their children. They are therefore oblivious of the moral standards of their children. This negligence has granted the children the freedom to do as they please. Sadly, they end up yielding to their sexual lusts and becoming sexually active at a tender age. Divorces among parents also cause them to spend less time with their children. Children who are brought up by single parents are rarely placed under any supervision and are at a high risk of using their freedom to destroy themselves.
The media has also played a very big role to hinder effective sex education. The music that many children listen to today is also sexually provocative. Some of the lyrics used in these songs describe sexual activities or scenes that arouse sexual desire in children. Children are thus motivated to indulge in sexual activities when they listen to these songs. Furthermore, a large percentage of movies and soap operas are also sexed-up. The characters of these movies or soap operas dress skimpily or even make love in the course of the film. Such scenes provoke the children to indulge in sexual activities at a young age. The language used in these movies and soap operas is also sexually suggestive. All these serve as impetuses that propel the children to give in to their sexual desires.
The deterioration of morality in the people around the children also plays a big role in hampering the positive effects of effective child sex education from manifesting in the children. If the people around the children are actively engaged in multiple sexual relationships, they are likely to influence them to follow suit (Sears and Maccoby, 1957). No matter how effective child sex education may be, it will not have an impact on the children who live under such conditions.
Peer pressure is also another reason why child sex education has not been effective. Children are more likely to be influenced by their peers than by teachers or parents. This is because they interact more freely with them and have many things in common with them. Some of them may be their heroes. Because of this, well-mannered children are at a high risk of being spoiled by those who are already sexually active. The spoiled children can even paint sexual activities as acts of heroism and provoke the rest even more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident from the above discussion that effective child sex education is crucial to the moral development of a child. This effective child sex education has many benefits to the child as well as to society. These benefits are a morally upright life for the child, acquisition of self-control, avoidance of rape cases, increased maturity, reduced HIV/AIDS cases, reduced number of abortions, achievement of goals, development of high moral standards in the society, development of personal respect and stabilization families and marriages. However, certain factors hinder effective child sex education from having the desired impact on the children. These factors include increased availability and accessibility of pornography, negligence of parents, sexually provocative films and music, moral decadence of individuals around the children, and peer pressure. Due to these factors, most children are caught in a dilemma. All in all, the decision to remain chaste solely depends on the children.
Reference List
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Glenn, V. (1943). The sexual development of boys. American Journal of Psychology, 56, 217-233.
Ira, E. (1968). Change in sexual behavior and attitudes of college students. Family Coordinator, 17, 119-123.
Margaret A. (1955). The personality of the young child. New York: Columbia University Press.
Money, J. (1973). Sexology: Behavioral, cultural, hormonal, genetic, etc. The Journal of Sex Research, 9, 1-10.
Peller, L. (1965). Sex education of the young child. The Journal of Sex Research, 45, 17-23.
Schaffer, H. and Emerson, E. (1961). Patterns of response to physical contact in early human development. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 5, 1-13.
Sears, R. and Maccoby, E. (1957). Patterns of child rearing. Evanston, Illinois: Row, Peterson.