Preview

Abstinence In Public Schools

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
734 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Abstinence In Public Schools
How would it feel to be pregnant? I will never have the chance to find out, thank God, but apparently about 13% of the female students at Timken High School in Canton, Ohio know how carrying a baby feels. The spread of this epidemic must be halted now before many other aspiring students have their dreams dashed by the responsibility of parenthood. Through stronger parental guidance and support, better abstinence programs, and more government action, this urgent problem must be quelled and brought under control by any means necessary. With many teenagers reluctant to talk with their parents about universal subject of sex, more have become prone to erroneous judgments. This can be changed if parents are able to sit down with their children …show more content…
The government and schools must now step in and place more effective abstinence programs to ensure that students are bombarded by information on the negative effects of sex. As Timken High shows us, many states have pitiful curriculums that are currently set. It does not make any logical sense to keep inadequate courses in the schools if they do not work! I thought schools and the government were responsible for teaching students information that would help them succeed in modern society and make smart decisions. By keeping these ineffective programs, it sends an implied message that the educational bodies simply do not care. Instead of working to ensure the achievement of a goal, they are, in some respect, condoning premarital sex. Currently in the state of California, there is a required sexual education class that all high school students must take before graduating. The program in California as well as that in Ohio is relatively similar in many respects. While not yet proven to be ineffective, the situation in Ohio and Timken High should be enough to compel education directors to alter the current curriculum. With schools being such an integral part in students' lives, schools must become a front runner in the battle against high school pregnancies. It is definitely a bold charge, yet essential, for schools' are held accountable for doing what is best for their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Doan and Williams examine abstinence only sex education in American public schools and how it contributes to the social constrains of women. This novel evaluates what the effects of abstinence only sex education, showing that this from of education doesn’t effectively prevent adolescence from having sex and can increase the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Doan is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas and the chair of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She has also the author of Opposition and Intimidation: The Abortion Wars and Strategies of Political Harassment. Williams is an Associate Professor of Political Science at California Polytechnic State University and has written a novel and many articles on homelessness. Primary sources are analyzed to show the results of abstinence only education compared to comprehensive sex education. This novel contains a lot of information about sex education in USA that is not entirely relevant to the topic of the social construct of virginity and how it affects women in Canada and USA from 2000- 2015; however, the information about gender politics ties in with the construct of virginity and how it generates the use of abstinence only education which can perpetuate sexual disempowerment, distorted power dynamics in relationships, and increased vulnerability to sexual assault is useful information.…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Birds and the Bees

    • 1431 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Parents always seem to agree on education being a vital aspect of life. Knowledge of literature, math, and philosophy can help students go far beyond their expectations; however this process starts with awareness at a young age. One topic that is widely neglected in education is sex. Sexual education classes vary tremendously across the nation; while some schools insist on hiding the facts from children, others are much more open with discussion. Abstinence only classes are popular among educators, but statistically they are highly ineffective. As sex becomes a reality for younger aged students, it is necessary for schools to provide suitable sex ed classes to reduce teen pregnancy and STD rates. This has turned into an ethical problem, with educators hiding information from students; they are also sheltering them from reality.…

    • 1431 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    If children and adolescents are educated about sex practices at too young of an age it can encourage them to partake in sexual activities prematurely. This can result in teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and negative mental health or low self-esteem. If students are educated about sex with abstinence based program it can reduce the amount of teen pregnancies that occur. For example, Project IMPPACT in New York City “focuses on the importance of abstaining from sexual intercourse” (Lieberman, Gray, Wier, Fiorention, & Maloney, 2000). This program discovered that “Lower rates of adolescent sexual activity are associated with having parents who demonstrate a combination of traditional attitudes toward sexual behavior and effective communication practices” (Lieberman et al, 2000).…

    • 1261 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sex Education Dbq

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sex instruction is critical, however numerous amounts of students complete sex education classes with a mutilated perspective of sexuality and without a decent comprehension of contraception and safe-sex practices. Schools without sex education, leave children confused and often misguided. Students are left to learn through their parents about sex, who could, in turn, be misinformed themselves by never having taken a course in sexual education. Without sexual education classes, little is accomplished leaving a defective and contorted, one-sided point of view of safe sex such as abstinence. The lack of knowledge also can lead to an increase in teen pregnancy, and the spread of sexually transmitted disease, Sexual education should be taught to…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abstinence-Only Education

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In recent years, the question of whether schools should teach abstinence only programs or comprehensive sex education has been debated rigorously. Through his 2013 published piece, “Educating for Character in the Sexual Domain”, author Thomas Lickona focuses on the benefits of abstinence only programs. He uses the argument that abstinence creates character in today’s youth and cites multiple sources that support his viewpoint. On the other side of the discussion, authors of the article “Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S.”, David Hall and Kathrin Stanger-Hall address the lack of efficiency abstinence only programs provide. Published in 2011, their article relies heavily on…

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teens did not know their own bodies. There were little factual resources that teenagers can depend. Few choices left for them, teenagers were guided along high risk actions. Abstinence was the approved option by parents, as it teaches teens to not be sexually active but not on protection or STDS. Another path is exploration on their own means. Exploration was dangerous, because teenagers were unaware of the consequences. Both options plunged teens’ health into a abyss. Then around 1980s, media started to reach towards the topic of sexual activity in teenagers. Many teen movies brushed against the topic about sexual activity and gave more positive responses than usual. Now, there is a rapid increase in sexual activity amongst teens. Due to this rise of sexually active teens, sexual health programs in high schools need to be updated to accommodate this change. High schools need to avoid only abstinence learning and implemented new programs for…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Comprehensive Sexual Education What has happened to today’s society that we are opposed to condoms because they might entice sex? When has allowing our youth to practice unsafe sex over safe sex been okay? We often think because we supply kids with condoms, birth control, and talks, that we are giving them permission to have sex, when in fact we are merely trying to protect them from STDs and pregnancy. We do not need to scare kids, but we do need to provide them with information about safe sex practices and what can happen if they do plan to explore their sexual urge. Facts are the most important thing we can offer those select few of youth who wish to engage in sex. Since when has providing information been a bad thing? Shouldn’t the youth know what they are doing and what can happen before they do it? Most schools and education environments that do encourage any sort of sexual education, teach kids to “just say no”. The one main problem with this “abstinence only” education is that it denies those who do say “yes” information, instead of providing other acceptable options other than abstinence. Throughout time, ratings have shown that teaching the abstinence only education doesn’t affect the rates at which teenagers decide to have sex. Though comprehensive sex education doesn’t stop kids from having sex, it does however teach them how to participate in safe sex. Teenagers in today’s society are not stupid. When they are told by teachers that abstinence is the only way that they will not get a STD, they know they are being lied to or misled. Giving teenagers’ information about the risks of different types of sexual behavior can help them make informed decisions about sex. The most effective programs are not the ones that try to divert teens from sex completely but rather the ones that try to steer teens away from dangerous sexual behaviors. Most teens who do not have the correct information on risky sexual behaviors veer away from vaginal intercourse, and…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sex Education In 1984

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Previously, sex education in the United States has been taught using a variety of scare tactics and questionable metaphors. A favorite that teachers across the country use is to compare a person’s virginity to a piece of tape. The tape is passed around and stuck to the arm of every student in the class, gradually becoming dirtier and losing its stickiness, in order to show “ that the more people you get “stuck” on, the dirtier and less valuable you become” (Smothers). The abstinence-only method of teaching “is one of our worst enemies because of the overwhelming shame and fear that it attaches to healthy sexual behavior” (Sanoff). Of course teachers should not promote unrestrained sexual activity, but neither should they “make everyone feel disgusted about sex” (B. Sharpe). Adolescents are taught throughout their lives that sex is “a dirty and damaging trait that must be controlled” and that is greatly harmful to their mental, emotional, and physical health (Sanoff). They grow up not understanding that their urges are completely healthy and natural and not knowing how to cope with…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    My learning throughout this course was different than other courses. I read from a textbook, which was similar, but the application was different. Seeing as this is a foundations of education course, it was about the history of education for most of the course and how the history shapes the present, and will shape the future of education. The application was a lot different, however, due to the fact that the information learned throughout the course applied to different projects. For example, while gathering information for the debate on abstinence-only education in schools, it was important to take into account what life was like, and how our culture has evolved into one where sex is not a taboo topic anymore. With that in mind, having abstinence-only education made sense for students of a different time, but the information provided to students needs to change with the times. This is different due to the fact that for other courses, the projects would include information on current topics instead of cumulative information.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States is often known as the land of opportunity, the birthplace of the American Dream, and the place to the start of a new life. But the United States doesn’t come without its flaws. America is also known for having the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world. The cause of the high rate of teen pregnancy has baffled many politicians and educators alike and has been a problem for decades. But research suggests that the United States approach on sex educated is dated and ineffective. Instead of focusing on avoiding the topic of sex, Americans should embrace the topic and should be willing to freely talk about sex.…

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Since 1997 the federal government has invested millions of dollars in Abstinence Only Education programs which have been proven to be ineffective programs. Even though abstinence is the best option for teens not to get pregnant, most teens tend to experiment with sex at young ages. Teens naturally have a sense of curiosity about their bodies and the opposite sex, not to mention that their bodies are going through hormonal changes (puberty). After the Obama Administration created a budget for sex education programs, teen pregnancies have been declining further than with just the contraception movement. As Molly Hennessy-Fiske reported in the Los Angeles Times, “Sex education in schools has helped teens decrease teen pregnancies…

    • 1196 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    An End to Ignorance

    • 2748 Words
    • 11 Pages

    In the past, Congress has funded abstinence-only programs over abstinence-plus education. The $102 million (0) currently being spent on abstinence-only programs seems to be intended to serve social and political goals, instead of producing positive health results for youth. The government appears to be concerned with how others portray our citizens, as immoral beings, when sex is an inevitable occurrence. Abstinence-plus education emphasizes the benefits of abstinence while also teaching about contraception and disease-prevention methods. Abstinence-only programs education includes discussions of values, character building, and refusal skills. They promote abstinence from sex for unmarried people and do not teach about contraception. They do not reduce pre-marital sex, but they do cause young people to avoid contraception. Because of the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only programs, abstinence-plus education should be taught instead.…

    • 2748 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sex Ed

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I think the introduction was one of the strongest parts of my essay. The thesis was strong. The body of the essay did a good job proving and backing up my thesis. I thought the conclusion could have done a better job of wrapping the essay up. I could also use a refresher on transitions.…

    • 1110 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abstinence or Abortion?

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As a student who has gone through the Texas education system since the 6th grade, I found a Sex-Ed class to be nothing but informing. Studies have shown that students who have gone through a abstinence class that includes accurate information over contraception, relationships, STD’s and societal pressures have delayed having sex. This is one piece of evidence in my mind that shows how important a class of this topic really can be. In addition, one of the most overlooked factors over a…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Abstinence In School

    • 161 Words
    • 1 Page

    The school sends off a permission slip to the parents and requires a signature to allow the student to get educated. Schools are allowed to show parents the material they will be teaching the class if parent ask. But this is another issue the policy had, a lot of this material goes against faith and religion believes. Many parents would not allow this for their children so many schools became more “abstinence only.” In 1981, the adolescent family life act (AFLA) was formed to promote abstinence and determination in teens. This organization was promoting their ideas to get funds from charity groups, churches, and pro-family groups. Putting their “only abstinence” message out there expanded their organization and many people were supporting them.…

    • 161 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays