Teens
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Decriminalizing Sexting
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2 min read
Manassas Case Rekindles Debate Over Penalties for Sexting The recent efforts of Manassas police and Prince William County prosecutors to photograph the erect genitalia of a 17-year-old boy for evidence in a “sexting” case has revived a debate in Virginia over whether such conduct between minors should be illegal at all . . . Sexting is a…
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Teens Thinking About Homophobia Must Dig Deeper
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3 min read
Note: the slurs in this video are not censored to enable a frank discussion. These teens were shown a video of a recent homophobic reaction on a public street by Jonah Hill, the actor, and another video showing his apology on a late night talk show where he was a guest. It is worth watching…
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“Informed teens are much more likely to wait for first intercourse, use condoms and other barrier and birth control methods at first intercourse, and are more likely to take responsibility regarding their own sexual health.” Emily E. Prior But not just any information given to teens will produce such a result. For decades, sex education programming…
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(También en Español) News of Note: High School Students Need Someone to Talk to About Sex Without Shame The other day, as a reward for finishing their state tests, I was letting my students talk quietly in groups and do word games. I sat next to three of my ninth graders (three girls and a…
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(También en Español) In 1994, then Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, MD, proclaimed, “With regard to masturbation, I think that it is something that is a part of human sexuality and a part of something that should perhaps be taught.” Masturbation being taught in schools? This statement is not one of shock, confusion, and contempt (or…
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(También en Español) News of Note: U.S. Teen Birthrates Are Down, But Still High in These States In 2009, a landmark study found a strong correlation between religion and teen pregnancy. The CDC’s newest data suggests not much has changed. Teen pregnancy closely follows the contours of America’s Bible belt, according to the map (above)…
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(También en Español) News of Note: The new legal theory that enables homophobic evangelising in US schools Last month, 8,000 public high school students in Montgomery County, Maryland, went home with fliers informing them that no one is “born gay” and offering therapy if they experienced “unwanted same-sex attraction”. The group behind the flier, Parents…
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What We Can Learn From the Dutch About Teen Sex
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2 min read
What Mind Reading: What We Can Learn From the Dutch About Teen Sex “Teen birth rates are eight times higher in the U.S. than in Holland. Abortion rates are twice as high. The American AIDS rate is three times greater than that of the Dutch. What are they doing right that we’re not?… “Coming out…