Example research essay topic: Teach Their Children Vast Majority - 677 words

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Talking About Sex Many teachers, carers, and parents feel embarrassing when it comes to sex education and broaching the topic of sex with teenagers, however, the authors of the article Talking about sex: sex can be hard to talk about with children. But with U. S. teen pregnancy rates the highest in the developed world, sex education can't be ignored, Carla Curran and Virginia Witt, convince that staying silent already causes more harm than good. The article claims that the importance of sex education cannot be underestimated, as it, according to the authors, involves much more than just the biological mechanics of reproduction, and, if implemented properly, will empower the youth to know their boundaries, rather than encourage sexual experimentation and, overall will help the youngsters to act safely and responsibly. Carla Curran and Virginia Witt tread on forbidden ground of sex education, the vast majority of parents and teachers have no slightest idea how to deal with.

Indeed, sex education has never been simple, but the importance of it, as the authors say, has never been greater. Yet, although the legislators acknowledge the importance of giving children honest answers, they reach no common ground concerning what lessons to teach and what messages to send (Curran and Witt). As the authors say, some state lawmakers are firmly impressed with the belief that abstinence from sex is the best possible option for kids (Curran and Witt), while the others consider that the so-called abstinence message should be combined with broader information about personal responsibility, contraception, and other important issues. Yet, despite all the differences concerning what the lessons of sex education should and should not include, state lawmakers share the same opinion that standing on the sidelines is not an option for legislators. " (Curran and Witt) Troubling human trends are at the bottom of it. The authors say that despite some declines in teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease rates and sexual activity, the situation is still troubling, as, according to the expert in adolescent health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50 % of high school students have had sex at least once, and about 15 % had four or more sex partners. The U.

S. teenagers also show the highest pregnancy rates (1 million teen pregnancies a year) among all developed nations, and high STD rates (25 % of sexually active teens get an STD). The authors also say that we can't ignore such alarming statistics, and claim that although 90 % of the U. S. students take a course in sex education at least once between 7 - 12 grades, the vast majority of programs place high emphasis on abstinence, and provide insufficient information about STDs and birth control. Now, what concerns the parents (as they are arguably the most important constituents legislators must heed when crafting education policy (Curran and Witt), as the authors say), the vast majority of parents want schools to teach their children about core concepts like HIV/AIDS and STDs (98 %), abstinence (97 %), the basics of reproduction (90 %), birth control (90 %), how to use condoms (85 %), and homosexuality (76 %).

In addition, as the authors say, the parents want schools to teach their children about how to say no, or to deal with pressure to have sex (94 %), and other real-life topics. Arguably, the most important thing the authors managed to find support to, is that sex education programs that cover real-life lessons and discuss contraception and other core concepts of sex education, do not increase teen sexual activity. Instead, these programs are not just about sex education, but, as the authors say, are " about communication, conflict resolution, responsible decision making-it's about all of the things that go into healthy family life. " (Curran and Witt) Works Cited Curran, Carla and Virginia Witt. Talking about sex: sex can be hard to talk about with children. But with U.

S. teen pregnancy rates the highest in the developed world, sex education can't be ignored. October/November 2002. 6 February 2008 < web >.

Research essay sample on Teach Their Children Vast Majority