Sex Education... for 7yr olds... and 'mini-condoms'

[Mouroux]

Parents' anger after class of seven-year-olds is shown 'graphic sex cartoon' at school | Mail Online
Extra small condoms for 12 year-old boys go on sale in Switzerland - Telegraph

In addition to the above laws have recently been passed in Germany making full sex-ed compulsory for eight year olds --sex-ed is still actively encouraged for children under the age of eight. The only difference in the UK is that schools still need the permission of parents. In Ireland, it is never really debated, but there is just this presumption that age 12 sounds about right? I am not aware of Irish schools using video tapes etc. in any event

In relation to the mini-condoms, for use by 12 year olds (or there abouts?), these are also expected to go on sale in the UK (very high rate of teen pregnancies.

What do people think? Will the various strategies have positive or negative effects of society... or both?

Obviously something is going wrong, in the UK anyway. Child prostitution is rife, especially in large UK cities --Glasgow is a nightmare, the average age of male prostitutes is 14 (meaning some are 18, 20, etc. but, going in the other direction from the average, some must be 12, 10, etc.? An education pack on the issue, for teachers, has issued from Glasgow --currently at the pilot stage.

Finally, there is the issue of internet regulation. I think we can all agree that the internet is saturated with porn --because the demand is there and money is being made? If your 18 and you want to access adult content, it's hardly anything new (except in terms of volume etc.) but at the age of 12? Or 6? Anyone with an gram of sense can see that there is a real issue here, but maybe the issue is too big for open discussion? However, surely it is only parents who can regulate the internet at home?

Are their any parents, teachers, etc. at p.ie? What do ye think? Is this one area where Ireland is doing quite well (is an exemplar even?) or do we need to 'get with the program' and follow the lead of other nations?

[southwestkerry]

Would the cartoon be the same as the one titled 'how to get pregnant' on bords.ie

[Mar Tweedy]

My local school get Accord in to give the sex ed to 6th class. I had no idea that Accord (the Catholic Marriage Advisory Service) do this, but apparently they do. They showed magnified pictures of genitals. Magnified pictures of any bodily parts do not look attractive.
The general response in the class was one of disgust.
Apparently this was the aim of the course - to disgust the youngsters the logic being that this will make them delay having sex.

No, I do not think this is an exemplar for sex education as it does not respect the dignity of the young people being educated nor their sexuality - nor any human's sexuality for that matter.

My young son caught his first glimpse of a lads mag the other day (he's getting taller).

We teach young people to be disgusted by their own bodies but its okay for women's boobs to be on view in any newsagents.

Its safe to say we have a way to go before we have a mature attitude to sexuality.

[cHeal]

The internet issue is simple, no child should have access to the internet in a private space. if parents can't grasp that the the internet should not have to change to protect their Tommy's fragile little mind then they are a lost cause.

[Mouroux]

Interesting... but have you objected to the Accord involvement? Has anyone... or are parents, here and in other countries, unwilling to 'go there'. Also, while it all sounds very harmless, 'catching a glimpse' of a lads mage, etc (and it is harmless) the wider reality is that the majority of children (not really confining the debate to teens here) have already accessed porn of some description on the internet --usually at home or in internet cafes. The problem with the internet is the 'porn loop'. That is not 'catching a glimpse' of a mag on the top shelf at easons.

A couple of years ago the UK went about bringing in legislation to try and contain the phenomenon of 'rape porn'. A man in Northern Ireland was arrested last year for possession of 'extreme pornography', meaning bdsm etc. Unfortunately, whether for adults or for younger viewers, porn is a very 'diversified', and extremely successful industry. It's a global issue. So there are very real debates to be had in the 21st century (i.e. now!) with respect to internet regulation, education etc. The problem is there is actually very little in the way of debate. On the Frontline a few months back, three separate audience members brought up the topic of regulating web pornography (surely there should be some regulation??) but Pat said, three times in a row, not going there, topic for another program, etc. If I remember correctly, the topic of the program that night was underage crime/anti-social behaviour.

If the media, the politicians, and the general public --including parents and teachers-- are unwilling to be proactive and start debating the various issues, at least, then perhaps the Catholic Church will (behind closed doors) exploit the 'culture of silence' and put forward their own strategies?

[Bobert]

Cyb has a threa don this already.

[Mouroux]

Well it won't do one bit of harm to have another go at the topic.

[Gimpanzee]

My local school get Accord in to give the sex ed to 6th class. I had no idea that Accord (the Catholic Marriage Advisory Service) do this, but apparently they do. They showed magnified pictures of genitals. Magnified pictures of any bodily parts do not look attractive.
The general response in the class was one of disgust.
Apparently this was the aim of the course - to disgust the youngsters the logic being that this will make them delay having sex.

No, I do not think this is an exemplar for sex education as it does not respect the dignity of the young people being educated nor their sexuality - nor any human's sexuality for that matter.

My young son caught his first glimpse of a lads mag the other day (he's getting taller).

We teach young people to be disgusted by their own bodies but its okay for women's boobs to be on view in any newsagents.

Its safe to say we have a way to go before we have a mature attitude to sexuality.

Accord... well, safe to say no good will come from that. If there's one thing worse than the idea of priests providing guidance on sexual morality it is the idea that Accord's band of repressed bints and creeping Jesus's would be educating kids on this matter

BTW I remember in our day the approach was to send Fr Michael Cleary around to the schools to get down with the kids by making a few risque jokes and telling lads to keep it in their trousers for a while.

[imokyrok]

Parents' anger after class of seven-year-olds is shown 'graphic sex cartoon' at school | Mail Online
Extra small condoms for 12 year-old boys go on sale in Switzerland - Telegraph

In addition to the above laws have recently been passed in Germany making full sex-ed compulsory for eight year olds --sex-ed is still actively encouraged for children under the age of eight. The only difference in the UK is that schools still need the permission of parents. In Ireland, it is never really debated, but there is just this presumption that age 12 sounds about right? I am not aware of Irish schools using video tapes etc. in any event

In relation to the mini-condoms, for use by 12 year olds (or there abouts?), these are also expected to go on sale in the UK (very high rate of teen pregnancies.

What do people think? Will the various strategies have positive or negative effects of society... or both?

Obviously something is going wrong, in the UK anyway. Child prostitution is rife, especially in large UK cities --Glasgow is a nightmare, the average age of male prostitutes is 14 (meaning some are 18, 20, etc. but, going in the other direction from the average, some must be 12, 10, etc.? An education pack on the issue, for teachers, has issued from Glasgow --currently at the pilot stage.

Finally, there is the issue of internet regulation. I think we can all agree that the internet is saturated with porn --because the demand is there and money is being made? If your 18 and you want to access adult content, it's hardly anything new (except in terms of volume etc.) but at the age of 12? Or 6? Anyone with an gram of sense can see that there is a real issue here, but maybe the issue is too big for open discussion? However, surely it is only parents who can regulate the internet at home?

Are their any parents, teachers, etc. at p.ie? What do ye think? Is this one area where Ireland is doing quite well (is an exemplar even?) or do we need to 'get with the program' and follow the lead of other nations?

We have a graduated sex ed prog which starts young and gets more involved as the children go through the school. It think it started in 1st class for mine if I remember correctly. The truth is that most kids have picked up a lot of knowledge on such matters from TV by then anyway. Open discussion helps to prevent false information "sticking".

[SirHenryGrattan]

There is a direct relationship between sex education and pregnancy. The more sex ed, the more pregnancies. That's been the experience in the UK.