Whispers in the Walls: Unspoken Words in the Public School Fortress

Teenage pregnancy is not a new issue, and though policymakers have made token efforts toward curtailing the problem, current preventative and support programs have little effect. Their failure can be attributed to an institutional refusal to acknowledge teenagers as sexual beings, thus limiting the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of sexuality education 2006-12, Vol.2 (1), p.21-37
Main Author: Barton, Colleen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Adolescents
At Risk Persons
Decision Making
Early Parenthood
Females
policies
Pregnancy
Program Effectiveness
reform
Secondary School Curriculum
Sex Education
Sexuality
Social Attitudes
Social Bias
Social Influences
Teaching Methods
Teen pregnancy
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Summary:Teenage pregnancy is not a new issue, and though policymakers have made token efforts toward curtailing the problem, current preventative and support programs have little effect. Their failure can be attributed to an institutional refusal to acknowledge teenagers as sexual beings, thus limiting the scope of sex education curricula. Abstinence-only approaches shame students into silence, and clarifying questions never get asked or answered, leaving sexually active students with little accurate knowledge. Several programs have had a positive effect, but by and large, school administrators have ignored them. It is only through a careful and complete analysis of both types of programs that we will be able to design and implement a realistic program that will enable students to make responsible decisions before and after engaging in sexual activity.
ISSN:1554-6128
1554-6136
DOI:10.1300/J455v02n01_03