A new study has proclaimed that teen magazines, such as "lads' mags" such as Zoo and Nuts and, for the girls, magazines like Bliss, Sugar, and Cosmo Girl are a "valuable source of information" for young people about sex. The Ofsted study claimed that
"teenagers [are] turning to weekly publications such as Zoo and Nuts to learn about the facts of life to fill the void left by parents, who are often failing to give sufficient support...I can't say I'm surprised!
The study, which assessed personal, social and health education in schools (PSHE), found that teachers too were in some cases lacking the ability to deal with sex and relationship matters. Although inspectors acknowledged that lessons had generally improved in the last five years, they warned that much of the teaching was “unsatisfactory.”" (The Times)
If we want to stop the number of teenage pregnancies rising, and even make the number fall, then sex education needs to taken on properly by both parents and schools, and society at large. It seems that the "problem pages" in these sorts of teen magazines are doing their part of the job, and now it' time for the others to pick up the rest of the slack.
Teen magazines undoubtedly provide useful information for adolescents, but they also quite clearly leave gaps and skew assumptions. It is the role of teachers and parents to fill these gaps and to correct the imbalances. Yes, it may well be embarrassing, but it is a parent's duty to give their kids their "birds and the bees" talk. Teachers, especially those of a different sex to their pupils, obviously can only do so much to educate kids about sex before they open themselves to accusations of impropriety.
Sex education when I was at school was simply crap. I've never bought many of those sorts of magazines either, however, but then I'm refuse to pay the sort of prices they charge for the rubbish they include!
If we want to prevent teenage pregnancies, then we need to educate adolescents about sex properly. Otherwise the "social problem" of teenage mothers or teenagers who choose to have abortions will continue - and increase.
Sources: The Times, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Scotsman
