Media Literacy (continued)
Source: Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall
Topics: School and Academics, Children and the Internet, Children and Advertising, Technology and Learning
Not all young people become interested in sex at age 11, or 12, or 14, or even 16. Interest in sex is a result of a complex series of social, psychological, biological, and cultural events. In our society, television, magazines, and movies regularly define being female as to “grow up” fast, to have breasts, to have a boyfriend, and to become sexually active. Many young people are pressured to be sexual—and to be sexually active—while they would still prefer the safety of early adolescence (Kilbourne, 1999; Pipher, 1994). Girls and boys, particularly in middle schools, deserve the support of empathetic teachers, counselors, and parents in their times of changing identities (Children’s Defense Fund, 2001; Valenzuela, 1999).
Sexual behavior, particularly by the very young, has severe consequences (Pipher, 1994). Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. AIDS due to unprotected sex and drug abuse presents a serious crisis. Sexual education could be included in several areas of the curriculum, including literature, science, health education, and social studies. English literature classes, for example, could use stories or poems dealing with teenage sexuality. Role-playing peer pressure and writing journal entries can further explore these themes.
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© 2010, Allyn & Bacon, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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