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Parents Prefer Abstinence Education 2 to 1

Zogby Survey Shows Dramatic Shift in Attitudes Once Parents Understand
Differences Between Abstinence and Comprehensive Sex Education

Washington, DC — The National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) today released a new survey from Zogby International showing that when parents become aware of what abstinence education vs. comprehensive sex education actually teaches, support for abstinence programs jumps from 40% to 60%, while support for comprehensive programs drops from 50% to 30%. This sharp increase in support of abstinence education is seen across all political and economic groups. As federal and state lawmakers debate funding for sex education in public schools, this new survey offers a compelling look into what parents want for their children.

“These results confirm broad-based support for abstinence education, including teaching teens about developing healthy relationships and increasing self worth and self control,” said Valerie Huber, executive director of the NAEA. “While abstinence education has been continually misrepresented by its opponents, we were confident that parents would strongly prefer abstinence education over so-called “comprehensive” sex education after they received full, accurate information about this common sense educational approach.”

The survey also showed overwhelming parental support for how abstinence programs permit an age appropriate discussion of contraception within the context of promoting abstinence as the healthiest choice. In line with the abstinence education approach, most parents said they want their children to be taught the limitations of condoms in providing complete protection against specific STDs and to learn how often condoms fail in preventing pregnancy based upon typical use. The majority of parents reject the so-called “comprehensive” sex education approach, which focuses on promoting and demonstrating contraceptive use. Sixty-six percent of parents think that the importance of the “wait to have sex” message ends up being lost when programs demonstrate and encourage the use of contraception.

Key Facts from the Survey

59% of parents said more funding should go to abstinence education; 22% said more should go to comprehensive sex education.
83% of parents think it is important for their child to wait until they are married to have sex.
78% of parents think sex education classes in public schools should place more emphasis on promoting abstinence than on condom and other contraceptive use.
93% of parents agree sex education should include a discussion about the limitations of condoms in preventing specific STDs.

“This poll confirms that abstinence education is the preferred approach for the sex education of youth in America,” said Valerie Huber. Zogby International conducted a telephone survey of 1002 parents of children ages 10-16. The margin of error was +/- 3.2 percentage points. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups. Access the entire survey from Zogby International at www.abstinenceassociation.org.

HHS Report: “Comprehensive” Sex Education
Ineffective And Offensive

Programs Instruct Teens As Young As 13 on Sexually Explicit Material

Washington, DC – Parents today learned the truth about so called “comprehensive” sex education curricula from a US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) study. The government report reveals how the most commonly used sex education programs have virtually no effect in keeping teens from having sex yet contain numerous sexually explicit lessons taught to teens as young as 13. Of the nine commonly used curricula studied in the HHS report, most showed no impact in preventing teen sex, and one failed to even evaluate program effectiveness. All the programs reviewed by the HHS devoted an overwhelming amount of teaching time to topics such as condom usage, condom demonstration and sexual game play as methods of “safe” sex.

“Although they receive ten times the amount of government money as abstinence programs, so-called ‘comprehensive sex education’ has not been proven to delay teen sex,” states Valerie Huber, Executive Director of National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA). “The predominant message encourages sexual activity. The message of abstinence is virtually non-existent.”

The HHS study also revealed some startling components of the “comprehensive” sex education programs for teens as young as 13 include lessons include:

Advocating showering together as a no risk activity.
Promoting methods for sexual stimulation.
Conducting sexual role-play on how to help a partner maintain an erection.
Describing how to eroticize condom use with a partner.
Suggesting teens wear shades or a disguises when shopping for condoms so adults and parents won’t recognize them.

Parents communicated their strong support for abstinence education, as currently funded by Congress, in a recent 2007 Zogby poll. In fact, regardless of ideological leaning, parents from across America supported abstinence education over ‘comprehensive’ sex education by a 2:1 margin. The very topics that parents wanted curricula to cover are absent in most ‘comprehensive’ sex education.”

FOXNEWS.COM HOME > HEALTH March 2008
CDC: At Least 1 in 4 Teenage Girls Has
Sexually Transmitted Disease

At least one in four teenage girls nationwide has a sexually transmitted disease, or more than 3 million teens, according to the first study of its kind in this age group.

A virus that causes cervical cancer is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in teen girls aged 14 to 19, while the highest overall prevalence is among black girls — nearly half the blacks studied had at least one STD. That rate compared with 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens, the study from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Among girls who admitted ever having sex, the rate was 40 percent. While some teens define sex as only intercourse, other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some infections.

For many, the numbers likely seem "overwhelming because you're talking about nearly half of the sexually experienced teens at any one time having evidence of an STD," said Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine and head of the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on adolescence.

But the study highlights what many doctors who treat teens see every day, Blythe said.

Dr. John Douglas, director of the CDC's division of STD prevention, said the results are the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common sexually transmitted diseases among adolescent girls. He said they likely reflect current prevalence rates.

"High STD rates among young women, particularly African-American young women, are clear signs that we must continue developing ways to reach those most at risk," Douglas said.

The CDC's Dr. Kevin Fenton said given that STDs can cause infertility and cervical cancer in women, "screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among our highest public health priorities."

The study by CDC researcher Dr. Sara Forhan is an analysis of nationally representative data on 838 girls who participated in a 2003-04 government health survey.

The results were prepared for release Tuesday at a CDC conference in Chicago on preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Four common diseases were examined — human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of girls studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and herpes simplex virus, 2 percent.

Blythe said the results are similar to previous studies examining rates of those diseases individually.

HPV can cause genital warts but often has no symptoms. A vaccine targeting several HPV strains recently became available. Douglas said it likely has not yet had much impact on HPV prevalence rates in teen girls.

Chlamydia and trichomoniasis can be treated with antibiotics. The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under age 25. It also recommends the three-dose HPV vaccine for girls aged 11-12 years, and catch-up shots for females aged 13 to 26.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has similar recommendations.

Douglas said screening tests are underused in part because many teens don't think they're at risk, but also, some doctors mistakenly think, "'Sexually transmitted diseases don't happen to the kinds of patients I see.'"

Blythe said some doctors also are reluctant to discuss STDs with teen patients or offer screening because of confidentiality concerns, knowing parents would have to be told of the results.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports confidential teen screening, she said.

Thomas Arnold, Parent Educator says...
Parents...Get Involved!

Research clearly defines parents as the single most influential factor affecting a teen's sexual decision-making. Parental involvement is more critical today than ever, as teens become more vulnerable to at-risk behaviors.

By the age of 18:

60% of teens will have had sexual intercourse
25% of sexually active teens will have contracted an STD
20% of girls will have been pregnant

Our parent groups both inform and motivate parents regarding the importance of abstinence education. Our material and facilitator combine eye-opening, research-based facts about widespread teen sexual activity and consequences with clear guidelines for encouraging teens to choose abstinence. We cover 10 specific steps you can take to make a critical difference in your teens’ health and futures by empowering them to choose abstinence until marriage. Help your whole family talk openly and honestly about relationships, health, and the benefits of saying
YES to waiting for sex until marriage.

TOPICS include…
Be Informed—Things Have Really Changed!
What They Don’t Know Can Kill Them
Mixed Messages Don’t Work
Abstinence Allows for Promising Futures
Be There
Communicating “You Are Special and Significant”
“How Do I Know When I’m in Love?”
Establish Rules and Boundaries
What to Do When Nothing Else Works

A 6-week interactive Group will help you protect your teen’s health and future, along with encouraging open communication and relationship building. We can tailor our groups to fit your schedule. Email or call today to enroll, or to become a group sponsor in your WORKPLACE.

Talking to your children about sexuality is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Many parents feel awkward and embarrassed when attempting to do such a thing. Teenagers, as well, may feel put on the spot and embarrassed when their parents bring up the subject. There are techniques parents can use to limit the amount of awkwardness felt and the level of embarrassment that surrounds the topic of sexuality.

Here are a few tips that have been proven to work for many parents:

1. The setting matters. Night walks and driving at night are two of the best ways to get a conversation going with your teen. It doesn’t involve eye contact. Teenagers usually feel put on the spot when you look directly at them. You can ease some of that uncomfortable feeling if you don’t look into their eyes. Your teen will appreciate it, and you might feel better too. Both you and your teen are not as visible. The darkness of night puts both you and your teen in shadow, which increases his or her comfort level, since they feel somewhat hidden.

2. There is an activity going on at the same time. Any lulls in the conversation will not be as uncomfortable, since you're taking a walk or traveling in the car. Both of you will be able to bear the silence.

3. Continue talking about sex. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4379015 Many parents have “The Talk” or just put a book about sex on their teen's bedside table for a few weeks. It’s going to take more than one conversation to get your thoughts across. Your teen’s attitude about sex will also change as time goes by. The more you talk about it, the better, and the easier it will get for both of you.

4. Look for teachable moments to bring about discussion about sexuality. Let today's media work to your advantage. For example, while watching television, ask your teen what he/she thinks about situations that involve sex outside of marriage. This is one way to learn more about the opinions your teen has about sexuality.

If you would like to be involved in a group, contact our Parent Educator, Thomas Arnold.

PARENT and KID TALKING

More frequent and more in-depth sex talks may bring parents and their children closer together.

Parents Not Talking to Kids About Sex
by Steve Jordahl, Correspondent

SUMMARY: Study shows that, though many teens take a vow of abstinence until marriage, there's more that moms and dads can do. A growing number of teens are looking to their parents for information about sex, but many moms and dads are unprepared to have the conversation, according to a recent NBC poll. The lack of information leaves those wanting to delay
sexual activity feeling alone.

Eighteen-year-old Rachel Watters said the firm boundaries she and her boyfriend have set around their physical involvement come from a solid relationship with her parents.

"My mom and I have a very close relationship -- are very open with each other," Watters said. "I'm in a dating relationship now, and I can talk to her about anything."

Watters is in the minority, though. More than half of the teens who responded to the survey said they rarely if ever discuss sex with their parents. But Jack Samad of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families said he believes those teens would have such conversations if they felt they could.

"What kids would tell you (is) that they would be open to speak to the parents," Samad said, "but the parents aren't comfortable and aren't equipped to talk to them about the issues they want to speak to."

The survey found that almost nine in 10 teens under 16 reported that they had not had sex - although some have experimented with other forms of physical intimacy.

Scott Phelps of the Abstinence and Marriage Education Partnership said the survey confirms that teens respond extremely well to a clearly reasoned, positive presentation of the benefits of saving sex until marriage.

"Seventy-four percent said that the major reason (they are not sexually active) was that they made a conscious decision not to have sex or a conscious decision to wait," Phelps said.

Too few parents, he added, are willing to make the personal sacrifices needed to correctly model purity. Many parents, for example, won't turn off an inappropriate TV show that they're watching, and therefore feel hypocritical trying to restrict their kids' viewing habits.

(This article appeared in CitizenLink Daily Update published March 28, 2005.)

HPV Get the facts!
http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/default.htm

HPV infections common among women who've only had one partner: study

Jan 13, 2008

TORONTO - When it comes to human papillomavirus infection, it appears the adage "it only takes one" is right on the mark.

A new study of university students shows that nearly one-third of women who reported having ever had only one male sexual partner were infected with an HPV within a year of starting that sexual relationship.

Three years into those partnerships, nearly 50 per cent of the women had been infected at least once, despite the fact they'd still only had a single sexual partner.

"This paper shows that even just with one partner there's a high risk of infection," lead author Dr. Rachel Winer said from Seattle, where she teaches at the University of Washington.

"It's unlike other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) where . . . the virus or bacteria is in core (population) groups. HPV is different in that it's just very common among everyone who's having sex. So even just being exposed to one partner makes you susceptible to infection."

The study, which was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will be published this week in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The findings underscore the wisdom of offering HPV vaccine to girls before they've begun to have sex, said Dr. Monika Naus, director of the immunization program at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver.

"What this confirms is that you shouldn't wait until you've had one or two partners before you consider HPV vaccine, because there is a risk even with that first partner," said Naus, who was not involved in the study.

She noted that data from British Columbia - drawn from a survey of adolescents and teens - suggests that by age 12, four per cent of boys and 3.1 per cent of girls have already had sexual intercourse. By age 16, the rate rises to 28.3 per cent of males and 33.4 per cent of females.

The HPV vaccine currently on the Canadian market - Merck Frosst's Gardasil - is licensed for use in females aged nine through 26. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends it be given to girls between ages nine through 13, suggesting at this age most Canadian girls aren't yet sexually active.

Four provinces have rolled out publicly funded HPV vaccine programs. Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island offer the shots to girls in Grade 6, Nova Scotia to girls in Grade 7 and Ontario to girls in Grade 8.

In the research, Winer and colleagues were looking at an older group of subjects - women who waited until they were in university to begin having sex.

But a previous study in younger British teenagers found strikingly similar results. The authors of that work followed a group of female teenagers aged 15 to 19 who had just started their first sexual relationship. Among those who had still only had one sexual partner three years later, the HPV infection rate was 46 per cent.

The new research followed 125 women aged 18 to 22 who hadn't had sex yet or had had their first intercourse with a single male partner in the three months prior to the start of the study.

The women were asked to keep Web-based diaries of their sexual activities and to offer their best guess of how many previous sexual partners their boyfriend had had. They also had gynecological examinations every four months.

The researchers stopped collecting data from women in the group if they reported they had started a sexual relationship with a second partner.

The fact that some women were newly infected two and even three years into their first sexual relationship could have been due to a slacking off in condom use, the authors suggested.

Other factors could have been at play as well. The males could have had sex with someone else, the women could have had other partners they didn't report or they could have had sexual contact - stopping short of intercourse - that allowed transmission to occur.

The rate of infections among women who guessed their boyfriends had had more than two previous sexual partners was higher than among women who guessed their partners were less experienced.

"That's one of the strong findings that came out of this work: That the more partners the woman's male partner had had, the greater the chance that she got infected with the HPV virus," said Ann Burchell, a PhD candidate at McGill University whose own work focuses on sexual transmission of HPV.

Burchell, who wasn't involved in the research, said it also shows that those who suggest women can avoid HPV infection by having only one sexual partner in their lifetime aren't taking an important variable into consideration.

"Telling a women just to have one partner in her whole life and be monogomous is also not necessarily protective," she said. So even if a woman waited until marriage and that was the only partner she ever had, she still may get an HPV infection through that partner."

The reality of human papillomaviruses is that they are out there, Burchell said.

"The analogy that I've heard about HPV is that it's the common cold of the STI (sexually transmitted infections) world. If you leave the house in the winter you're probably going to catch a cold at one point. And HPV is very much like that."

"If you're sexually active, you're quite likely to get it at at least one point in your life."

NBC SHOWS SAD REALITY…
KIDS FEEL TRAPPED BY WORLD ADULTS CREATE

In a heart-breaking special on NBC on Jan. 26th, Katie Couric talked with 20 teens gathered from around the United States on their attitudes about sexual activity. Two common threads drew all 20 youth together. One, the overwhelming majority did not have sexual experience, and two, most felt pressured by society and individuals to engage in sexual activity. These uniting ties were consistent with a national poll of 1,000 youth conducted by NBC and People Magazine in preparation for the show.

Watching teens admit feeling pressured to engage in sexual activity has many upset.

“Where is the outrage today?” asked Jessemyn Pekari, Communications Director for the Abstinence Clearinghouse. “These kids admitted that they couldn’t get away from sex….that it is everywhere and they feel they are becoming desensitized to it. This show was a desperate cry for help. Is anybody listening?”

Janet Jackson, Desperate Housewives, MTV, and more are pushing dangerous behavior on an entire generation of teens and so few in the media seem to care. Even NBC, in their quest to “understand” teenage sexual activity, promoted it by showing graphic sexual videos to the teens during their time with Katie Couric.

Abstinence educators understand the real world facing teens today. Unlike others, they believe in empowering teens to feel good about waiting until marriage to engage in sexual activity.

“Teens feel forced to grow up. Our culture is pressuring them into sexual activity for which they are neither physically, emotionally, or financially prepared to handle,” said Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse. “It’s time for adults to behave like adults and to make our culture a safe place for kids to live.”

Upton Sinclair, in his book The Jungle, wrote about child labor, and in so doing, challenged the entire world to rethink how children were treated during the time of the Industrial Revolution. It’s time for another revolution on behalf of children…A Cultural Revolution. Abstinence educators have begun the battle…who will join the fight? Will you?

The Abstinence Clearinghouse is a non-profit national educational organization that promotes the appreciation for and practice of sexual abstinence through distribution of age-appropriate, factual and medically-accurate materials. The Clearinghouse was founded to provide a central location where character, relationship and abstinence programs, curricula, speakers, and materials could be accessed. The Clearinghouse serves agencies on a national, state and local level, as well as international organizations.
(copied in part from www.abstinence.net)
____________________________________________________

Parents Overwhelmingly Prefer Their Kids Be Taught Abstinence

A new poll shows moms and dads strongly oppose condom-based sex education

Colorado Springs, Colo.—The vast majority of American parents want their children's sex education classes to emphasize abstinence until marriage, according to a new poll released today.
The survey, conducted by Zogby International for Focus on the Family, also found that parents strongly oppose the values and messages of comprehensive sex education, a training model that assumes teens will become sexually active and, therefore, must be given easy access to condoms.
In fact, a significant majority of those surveyed believe that sexual behavior is likely to lead to psychological, emotional and physical problems for teens.
"This poll illustrates that the people most concerned about the health and emotional well-being of America's children -- their moms and dads -- recognize that abstinence is the only surefire way to protect their kids," said Linda Klepacki, manager of the abstinence department at Focus on the Family. "As hard as the comprehensive sex-education lobby has tried to sell its 'safe-sex' message, it's clear parents aren't buying it."
Klepacki announced the poll results at a Washington, D.C., news conference today, an event also attended by Dr. Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“It is gratifying to learn that parents agree with the President that the primary message we should give our children when it comes to sexual behavior is abstinence until marriage,” Dr. Horn said.
The survey of 1,008 parents of children under 17 featured in-depth questions about the respondents' views of teenage sexual behavior, the messages contained in sex education curricula and sexual activity as it pertains to human relationships. Among its highlights were:
• Sixty-eight percent of parents want schools to teach teens that individuals who remain abstinent until marriage have the best chances of marital stability and happiness. “Abstinence programs," Klepacki said, "support this theme while comprehensive sex ed classes seldom mention marriage and do not criticize casual sex."
• Ninety-one percent want their children to be taught that sex should be linked to the type of love and commitment found in marriage. “Abstinence programs are built upon this message while comprehensive programs present sex as a physical process," Klepacki explained. "The highest aim for comprehensive programs is the avoidance of STDs and unwanted pregnancy. Abstinence programs aim teens toward an enriched life.”
• More than 56 percent said that information about contraception should either not be taught as a subject or taught in a class separate from abstinence, such as a health or biology class.
• Only 39.9 percent thought that abstinence and contraception should be combined in a single class. But even on that matter, only 2 percent thought that sex education should focus on teaching teens how to use condoms. "That is a shocking number," Klepacki said, "because the vast proportion of government programs in the past had as their goal getting more teens to use more condoms. It is clear that the public health establishment has been out of step with the will of America’s parents. Only with the current administration has funding been dedicated to abstinence.”
The Heritage Foundation confirmed that conclusion in an analysis of the Zogby report released at today's news conference. The report noted that $4.50 was spent on comprehensive sex education for every $1 spent on abstinence education.
Senator Sam Brownback also participated in the press conference. Brownback said, “As we work to reauthorize abstinence education in Congress this year, and in light of President Bush’s increased focus on the issue, we should take a good look at the data presented today. It is clear from this study that most parents want their children to be taught in different ways and that includes increased attention to abstinence education.”
More information is available at www.citizenlink.org. Polling results are available at www.whatparentsthink.org.
(For more information, contact David Gasak at (719) 548-4570 or culturalissues@family.org.)

What type parent are YOU?

Every parent manages his or her relationship with children differently. Research has found that some strategies, or styles, are more effective than others. What is a “parenting style?” A parenting style refers to the manner in which parents treat, communicate with, discipline, and support their children. It encompasses both how the parent responds to the child, and how and what the parent expects from the child.

Here are four major categories for parenting styles, with general results for the well-being of the children:

Authoritative/Affirmative: these parents set clear limits and enforce limits and consequences. An authoritative parent is engaged, caring, and devoted. There is an emotional connection with expectations.
In general, these children tend to thrive, being successful both academically and socially.

Liberal/Permissive: these are loving parents who set fewer limits. They often want to be seen as “friend” and believe in letting children make their own mistakes, but don’t follow through to help children learn from and correct mistakes.
In general, these children succeed academically and socially, but are more inclined to be involved in drugs, alcohol and sex.

Dominating/Authoritarian: These parents tend to set strong rules, they are strict, and often lack compassion. Thy have a tendency to micromanage, and to allow adolescents to make very few of their own decisions.
In general, these children succeed academically and socially and tend to stay away from drugs, alcohol and sex. They are often, however, unhappy and emotionally troubled.

Unengaged: These parents provide no nurturing and set no limits.
Children are unsuccessful socially and academically and are often involved in drugs, alcohol and sex.

Research supports the theory that the Authoritative parenting style is most closely related to happy, well-adjusted adolescences who avoid risky behaviors. Parents who are supportive and caring, while also monitoring behavior and enforcing boundaries, have teens who tend to be more successful in school and have better emotional, psychological and physical health.

In addition, several family factors are shown to affect the well-being of children. Positive parent-child relationships, for example, are extremely important for the well-being of the child. Teens who have caring, involved and satisfying relationships with their parents are more likely to be academically successful, socially well-adapted and to avoid risky behaviors. Teens often feel insecure and need to experience physical and emotional connection with their parents. Even if they ignore their parents, they want them around.
Modeling is also an important factor. Teens whose parents have positive and healthy behaviors are more likely to engage in those behaviors themselves. Parental awareness and monitoring of their child’s behavior has also been shown to positively affect a child’s welfare. Parents who know their children’s friends and activities, and who set age-appropriate limits have teens with lower rates of risky behaviors.

(taken in part from www.talktothem.org)

Teens who use alcohol are seven times more likely to be sexually active, putting them at a greater risk for STDs.(The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA)

23% (5.6 million) of sexually active teens and young adults ages 15-24 in the United States report having had unprotected sex because they were drinking or using drugs at the time. Twenty-four percent of teens ages 15-17 say that their alcohol and drug use led them to do more sexually than they had planned. (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University)

Did you know?

95% of adults and teens thought it was “very” or “somewhat” important to give teens an abstinence message through high school. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2002 survey)
87% of parents said that teens should be at least age 16 before they begin steady, one-on-one dating. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2002 survey)
54% of teens surveyed in Crockett, Obion, Lauderdale, and Dyer Counties have not have sex! (Right Choices of West TN, 2003 survey)

Parental Influence on Teen Sex
What influences teens to have sex? There are many factors, including sexually explicit messages in the media, peer pressure, alcohol, and drugs. However, parents also play a major role in whether or not their teen will have sex. In a 2001 poll, 49 percent of teenagers said their parents influenced their decisions about sex most strongly. Parents affect teens' sexual decision-making by their marital status, attitudes, supervision, and involvement in their children's lives. A 2000 study of national data found that adolescents living with both of their parents were less likely to engage in sexual activity than those living with single parents. Also, a 1994 study found that teens living in a single-parent home at age 14 were more likely to engage in sexual activity and to have sexual intercourse more frequently.
Parental attitudes toward sex also greatly affect teen sexual behavior. A 1996 study of black adolescents ages 14 to 17 revealed that those who believed their mothers disapproved of adolescent sexual behavior either abstained from sex or had sexual intercourse less frequently. The authors of the study emphasized that "parents need to be firm in their emphasis on abstinence if they wish to discourage their teenage son or daughter from engaging in sexual intercourse." The Adolescent Health Study also confirmed the importance of maternal disapproval of sex. Among 8th-11th graders, "when teens perceive that their mother strongly disapproves of them having sex, they are more likely to delay initial sexual intercourse."
Parental supervision and emotional connectedness between parents and teens play a big role in whether or not teens engage in sexual activity. A 1994 study found that teens living in neighborhoods where most parents work full time and provide less supervision were more likely to have sex. Studies have also confirmed the importance of parent-child connectedness. A 1997 longitudinal health study of 12,000 adolescents found that teens were more likely to delay intercourse when they felt emotionally connected to their parents and when their parents disapproved of their being sexually active or of using contraception. The Adolescent Health Study also found that "high levels of mother-child connectedness are independently related to delays in first sexual intercourse among 8th and 9th grade boys and girls and among 10th and 11th grade boys."

In our busy lives today, it is hard to keep up with everything going on in the world. When it comes to sensitive subjects such as sex, some parents feel more confident in a discussion if they have information. Right Choices provides "parent groups" for parents and other adults interested in improving communication with teenagers regarding sexuality and making healthy choices for their lives. The Big Talk Book by Bruce Cook forms the basis for the curriculum and discussions. There are various written exercises in the text that are used in the group times with the goal to increase dialog between parents in the class and their teenagers.

Did you know....

59% of teens consider their parents to be role models of healthy, responsible relationships. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Sept. 2003 survey)

45% of teens say that parents are the most influential about their decisions about sex - more than any other area of influence. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Sept. 2003 survey)

88% of teens say it would be easier for teens to postpone sexual activity if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these
topics with their parents.
(National Campaign to Avoid Teen Pregnancy, Sept. 2003 survey)

Right Choices of
West Tennessee has a library of videos, books, brochures, and other support materials that you may check-out for personal use. We are available to talk with you if you need assistance in communicating with your teen, or teens with whom you have a sphere of influence. We strive to identify and implement effective strategies that offer abstinence education resources to parents and guardians.

What About Pornography?

Viewing pornography can be very dangerous to a person's mind. In fact, many serial killers, such as Ted Bundy, confess that pornography fueled their violent behavior. It is true that this does not happen to most people, but obviously it happens to some, and pornography does create subtle dangers worth considering.
In his book, The Centerfold Syndrome, psychologist Gary R Brooks, PhD identifies five symptoms that he describes as “pervasive disorder “ linked to consumption of soft-core pornography like Playboy and Penthouse.
The following concentrates on males because internet research shows that (Sean Kaldor, vice –president of ecommerce for online researchers Nielsen/ NetRatings) the top five sites for women are shopping sites, while the top 5 for men, using the exact same criteria, are adult sites that offer free pornographic photos.
Voyeurism – an obsession with looking at women rather than interacting with them. Brooks says that the glorification and objection of women’s bodies promotes unreal images of women, distorts physical reality, creates on obsession with visual stimulation and trivializes all other mature features of a healthy relationship.
Objectification – An attitude which women are objects rated by size, shape and harmony of body parts. Brooks says that if a man spends most of his emotional energy on sexual fantasies about inaccessible people, he frequently will not be available for even the most intimate emotional and sexual moments with this partner.
Validation – The need to validate masculinity through beautiful women. According to Brooks, the women who meet centerfold standards only retain their power as long as they retain perfect bodies and their leverage of mystery and unavailability. And the great majority of men who never come close to sex with their dream women are felt feeling cheated or unmanly.
Trophyism – The idea that beautiful women are collectibles who show the world who a man is. Brooks says that the women’s-bodies-as-trophies mentality, damaging enough in adolescence, becomes more destructive in adulthood. Furthermore, trophies, once they are won, are supposed to become the property of the winner, a permanent physical symbol of accomplishment and worthiness. This should not be so with women’s bodies.
Fear of true intimacy – Inability to relate to women in an honest and intimate way despite deep loneliness. Pornography pays scant attention to men’s needs for sensuality and intimacy while exalting their sexual needs. Thus, some men develop a pre-occupation with sexuality, which powerfully handicaps their capacity for emotionally intimate relationships with men and women for nonsexual relationships.
Some other things to think about:
Professors Dolf Zillman of Indiana University and Jennings Bryant of the University of Houston found that repeated exposure to pornography results in decreased satisfaction with one’s sexual partner, with the partner’s sexuality, with the partner’s sexual curiosity, a decrease in the value of faithfulness and a major increase in the importance of sex without attachment.
A study conducted by Dr. Reo Christensen of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio found that pornography leaves the impression with its viewers that sex has no relationship to privacy, that it is unrelated to love, the commitment of marriage, that bizarre forms of sex are the most gratifying, that sex with animals has an especially desirable flavor, and that irresponsible sex has no adverse consequences.
According to the book, Media, Children, and the Family: Social Scientific, Psychodynamic, and Clinical Prospectives, research has shown that sexual arousal and accompanying excitedness diminish with repeated exposure to sexual scenes.
In addition, in a series of studies, researchers observed numerous persistent changes in perceptions concerning sexuality and sexual behavior after repeated exposure (six 1-hour weekly session) with volunteers to pornography. These include the trivialization of rape as a criminal offence; exaggerated perceptions of the prevalence of most sexual practices, increased disregard for female sexuality and concerns, dissatisfaction with sexual relationships and diminished caring for trust in intimate partners.
In the book, Men Confront Pornography, Michael S Kimmel maintains that pornography is one of the major sources of sexual information that young males have about sexuality and therefore the central mechanism by which their sexuality has been constructed. “Men can no longer hide behind pornography as harmless fun.”
The National Council on Sexual Addiction Compulsivity estimates that 6-8% of Americans are sexual addicts. (article copied in part from the Heritage Community Services.)

Hey Parents, here are some things that you may need to DO!

Banning all access to the Internet is one solution. Unfortunately, this approach carries with it a huge educational disadvantage; the Internet today is the greatest single educational reference resource available. More information, from more sources, is available here than in any library in the world.

Personally supervising all Internet access is another solution. This is great, if you have the time.

Switch ISP providers to one that only offers filtered Internet.

Check with your Internet Service Provider and Browser for any controls already on offer.

Use child friendly Search Engines like "Yahooligans" or "Ask Jeeves Kids".

Don't assume all child friendly search engines to be 100% safe. There have been instances of some advertising porn sites. So take an active role in your children's Internet searches.

Regularly check the History folder on your Browser as it contains a list of recently visited sites. It is easy to accidentally stumble across pornography, especially as many porn sites use innocent words in their addresses (e.g. Whitehouse and Barbie, etc.) So don't jump to conclusions if the History folder lists a porn site. If you discover sites that have been accidentally opened, delete the address from the history folder.

Unwanted Email or SPAM, is a very popular with online porn companies. They can be very difficult to filter out so it's a good idea to check the email inbox and deleting it before surfing the Internet with you children. Never reply to unsolicited Emails or unsubscribe from receiving further emails, as these actions will only confirm that the email address is in use.

Super Highway Safety Site Advice for schools on Internet safety from the Department for Education and Skills.

Childnet International Key safety issues and how best to discuss Internet safety with children.

Get Net Wise Challenge yourself and learn how your children can use the Internet Safely.

About: Internet safety Take the tutorial for Internet safety.

McAfee.com Kids - For Grown Ups US site with level headed information.

Be Safe Online This site has been developed to make adults more aware of how to use the Internet safely, so they can encourage safe behavior online among children and young people.

Kidsmart A safety site with resources and activities for families and teachers including some interactive games.

BrowserLock Acts as a personal Internet portal, providing access to a 'white list' of approved web sites. The system administrator can add new sites as required and allocate them to individuals for all.

Keep your kids safe A new site with product reports and information about what software you need to have installed on your computer to keep your family safe online.
copied in part from XXXChurch)

For more information on pornography and your teen, please email
or call Right Choices today.

Right Choices of West Tennessee
P.O. Box 171 -- Newbern, TN 38059
(731) 627-9900 or toll-free at 1-866-RIGHT 04
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