Sex
education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual
anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual
intercourse and thus reproduction
In
discussing the far reaching implication of
exposing the youths to early sex
education, we look at youth at
risk for early sexual activity and
teenage parenthood current
research indicates that fifty
three percent of families
between the ages of 15 and 19 are
sexually experienced.
Teenagers
at the end of 1980s were likely to be
sexually active than teenagers at the
beginning of the decade
despite the advent of programs to encourage sexual abstinence during this same time period
Moreover,
each year approximately one out of ten teenage girls between the
gages of
15 and 19 become pregnant, given
the high rate of teenage pregnancies, an important question the needs to be
addressed
What
factors put teenage pregnancy? The purpose of this presentation is to review
what is known about factors related to sexual activity among teenagers . we propose that a risk focused ecological perspective is useful for understanding teenage
sexuality
Characteristics
of the teens and of their families are predictive
of which
teens and of their families are predicative of which teens are sexually active
In addition, factors outside the family such
as schools, work, and neighborhood
characteristics can influence rates of sexual activity among teens . the ecological perspective is not only useful for thinking about how the
problem can be addressed
Overview of an ecological risk. Focus approach
KAREN; the question we will Begin with today is do we know enough to prevent early adolescent sexual activity? Today WP do like
to talk with you about a way of thinking about prevention. David Hawkins
and his colleagues at the University of Washington bring other fields for
effective prevention techniques. The heart and lung disease prevention models that
were being pioneered at Stanford and other places across the country seemed to
hold promise.
Their approach differed from other approaches in
that if focused on factors that increase the risk of heart disease, a family
history of heart disease, too much smoking too little exercise, a diet high in
fat.
What was interesting about this approach is what
studies indicated about this approach is that studies indicated that people
understand the importance of exercise and diet, and by promoting lifestyle
changes. The care of the risk focused prevention approach is quite simple. To
prevent a problem from happening in the first place, identify the factors that
increase the risk of that problem and then address those factors either
eliminate them or reduce their effects or identify factors that protect against
that problem and support or enhance those factors.
Thus according
to Steve this leads to the question, will the approach that began in the health
arena also work in human development”
The clear message from the literature on child
development is that human development is not influenced by one factor buy by a whole
mosalic of factors (Bronfenbrenner,
1986, Segal, 1983) Children grow up not in isolation, but in every widening environments children grow up,
not in isolation, but in ever
widening environments, children are influenced
first and foremasts. Children are influenced first and foremost by their
peers, their school and work settings, and community in which they
live. Development has no single
cause rather multiple factors working
together influence development
THE ECOLOGICAL MODEL
If
we are serious about preventing teen pregnancy and delaying early adolescent
sexual activity, this model suggests the need to address risk
factors at multiple levels of
childs ecology
DEFINITION OF RISK FACTORS
What
do we mean by risk factors risk factors are individual or environmental hazards
that increase a youngsters
vulnerability to negative developmental outcomes or problems.
The presence of risk
factors does not guarantee a
negative developmental outcome, but rather increases the odds or probabilities that a problem will occur (Werner,
1990)
Definition
of protective factors protective factors are individual or environmental
safeguards that enhance a youngsters ability to resist stressful life events and hazards and promote adaptation and
competence (Garmezy, 1983) weren’t, 1990) protective factors are some
times the opposite of risk factors are sometimes the opposite of risk factor,
the main difference however, is that risk factors lead directly to disorder
while protective factors operate only when a risk is present (Ruther 1987)
An ecological risk focused approach also assumes
that risk factors are cumulative and
sometimes multiplicative
Conclusion
the more risk individuals face, the greater the
likelihood that they will experience a problem. Similarly, the more
protective factors individuals posses the less likely they are to experience a problem when faced with stressful events or hazardous conditions
REFERENCES
Wilson
W.J 919870 the truly disadvantaged
Chicago university of Chicago press
Keeywords; staff training at risk