With the drastic changes in modern society, teenagers are becoming sexually active at earlier ages. What young people ought to know about sex should start with their parents. They must be the first source of sex education for their teens. A lot of parents are confused, if not afraid, about what they should impart to their teens when it comes to the topic of sex. They are also often worried that sexual information could trigger or increase their teen’s interest in experimentation. However, several studies have revealed that sex education do not encourage or heighten sexual activity. In fact, well informed teenagers make better decisions about their sexuality when they have the notion that no subjects are regarded as taboo at home.

Sex is a topic that should not be taken lightly. Teenagers are prone to suffer lots of consequences if they are unaware of the essential aspects that they should know about sex. Some parents tend to wait for their teens to approach them and ask about the matter. But if it does not happen, they tend to be anxious when their teens never ask questions that are sexual in nature. Parents must realize that teenagers pick up cues and have perhaps realized that topics related to sex make them jittery and uncomfortable. As a result, teens just try to steer away from the topic and this is often the root of the problem. Who’s better to explain the morality and repercussions of sex to teenagers than their parents? They are gravely mistaken if they believe that they no longer have the responsibility to teach their teens about sex and sexuality simply because human sexuality can be learned in school. Parents must realize that in most cases, schools only teach about the anatomy and physiology of human sexuality. It usually ends there that’s why morality and issues related to sex remain proscribed. This is precisely the reason why parents should take an active role and teach their teens about their moral obligations when it comes to sex, including their moral obligations toward their partner.

This is of particular importance if teenagers are already sexually active. Parents must take on the responsibility of opening their eyes about the possible repercussions of their actions. Teenagers must have a clear awareness and understanding about the implications of their sexual behavior. There are really a lot of issues to impart to teens about sex to help them protect themselves from easily falling prey to its hazards. Parents must be a part of their teen’s lives and make them feel good about their sexuality from the onset. This way, it would be easier for teens to take time out and sit down with their parents and talk about the matter in a manner that is stress-free and without hesitations or restrictions. Altogether, sex education is definitely a difficult topic to discuss with teenagers but parents must realize that it is just another crucial responsibility that they can’t escape from.

If you happen to be parenting a teenager, one of the stark realities that you have to face is teen dating violence. Most parents think that their teenager is too young to be dealing with such an issue, but the truth is that teen dating violence is increasingly becoming more rampant in society. As a matter of fact, recent statistics revealed that approximately 1 in 5 high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Moreover, more than half of the respondents admitted to compromising their values just to please their partner. Another study reported that more than half of today’s teens have experienced dating violence and that females aged 16 to 24 are more susceptible to intimate partner violence than any other age group. Yet another troubling statistic is that 81% of parents surveyed either believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.

Having said all these, what exactly can you do about it? The first step is to make sure that your teen is well informed about these possibilities. Communication is the key, it may be tough but it is a necessary one. Get into the habit of talking to your teen on a regular basis. Establishing a close relationship with your teen while she’s young will make it easier for her to approach you when a problem comes about. Your teen may not be aware of the signs of dating violence. Most of them feel pressured to have and stay in a relationship, particularly if they perceive it as a ‘serious’ one. Peer pressure can set in and prompt them to stay in violent relationships because they consider it as a status symbol which is frequently the result of pressure from peers to engage in dating relationships.

Teen dating violence runs across race, gender, and socioeconomic lines. Both males and females are victims so whether you have a teenage son or daughter, it is your responsibility as a parent to make them realize that abusive, controlling and violent behaviors are not normal. Physical aggression has no place in a healthy relationship at any time and victims can and should stand up for themselves. It is unfortunate but there are instances when teenagers opt to stay in a controlling or abusive relationship because they believe there is no escape and no one to run to for help. Educating your teen can help them from falling prey to dating violence and abuse. Teenagers ought to know that there are many resources for help. It is also crucial to build your teen’s self esteem from a young age and impart to them the notion that they are worthy of being treated with utmost respect and dignity by their friends and partners.

Teach your teen how to watch for danger signs when they go out on dates. Some teenagers are quite naive so they have to be warned that dating violence can happen in any relationship. There are early warning signs of dating violence, but such signs will only be recognized if your teen knows exactly what to look for. It is important to stem the problem at its earliest since violent relationships tend to have serious ramifications for victims. Studies show that teens who choose to stay in violent relationships are at higher risk for suicide, substance abuse, eating disorders and risky sexual behavior.

It is advisable for you to set standards for your teen’s dating behavior and you should always know who your teen is going out with. It is your responsibility as a parent to protect your children from the perils in society and make your teen’s safety your top priority.

The fear of youth is called ephebiphobia. Initially referred to as the “fear and loathing of teenagers,” today this social condition is regarded as the “inaccurate, overstated and sensational depiction of young people” in various settings across the globe. There are individuals in society who are hesitant and refuse to go near young people, to the point where they veer away, campaign against, and hard sell against anything that would benefit the youth, with the notion that such actions will keep young people away from them.

The term ephebiphobia came from the Greek word éphēbo, meaning youth and phóbos, meaning fear. The origin of this term is ascribed to an article written by Kirk Astroth, which was later published in Phi Delta Kappan. Other accounts said that the term was coined about 10 years ago to capture the social panic that has stricken media, politicians, and even learning institutions. In general, it was based on negative conventions as well as negative childhood experiences, and has been stereotyped and preserved by the way media portrays today’s youth. Ephebiphobia is currently used by sociologists, social psychologists, government agencies and youth advocacy groups that characterize ephebiphobia as an aberrant and irrational fear of youth or adolescence.

Ephebiphobia actually forms part of a series of age-related fears that include:

• Pediaphobia or the fear of infants and/or young children
• Ephebiphobia or the fear of youth
• Gerontophobia or the fear of elders

There are other similar terms that have been used as synonymous to ephebiphobia. For instance, paedophobia has earned popular acceptance across Europe and has been used to describe the foregoing “fear of youth.” Another term that has been proposed is Hebephobia, from the Greek word hḗbē, meaning “youth or puberty.” Other terms include ageism, which denotes social discrimination based on one’s age; and adultism or the inclination towards adults that is biased against children and the youth.

This phenomenon, along with the fear of crime and street culture, is believed to have existed in Western culture for quite some time. Certain events bolster this claim; ancient Greece and Venice are said to have struggled with public policy due to their fear of youth. Niccolo Machiavelli is believed to have envisaged that a fear of youth is what really kept Florence from maintaining a standing army.

The onset of American Puritanism was viewed as dependent on a fear of youth, who were perceived as epitomizing enlightenment and adventure. As such, young people were then seen as vulnerable to decadent morality. The Industrial Revolution also prompted popular media in North America and Western Europe to perpetuate the fear of children and youth in an attempt to advance the industrialization of schooling, and to eliminate the presence of young people from the workplace at a time their labor was deemed unnecessary as a result of mechanization and the advent of new labor.

Concern for mal de jeunesse was claimed to have stricken post-World War II France when they crafted policies that revealed their fear of youth. At that time, youth policies centered on sending French teenagers to either summer camps or in reformatories, while the rest enjoyed total freedom. Likewise, the United States military recognized the surge in number of young people in the Deep South and viewed it as a threat to national security. Analysts later proposed that the upsurge in the popular culture’s fear of youth may be imputed to certain defense policies that have been devised in response to that threat.

The public fear of youth further intensified in the 1990s due to the increased youth access to guns, the emergence of youth gangs and their eventual links to illegal drug cartels, typecasting of urban youth, political and academic pandering, as well as a series of high-profile school shootings that triggered a media frenzy. Moreover, in an issue of Seattle Weekly, fear of youth was particularly cited as the major factor behind Seattle’s Teen Dance Ordinance that eventually went down the drain. Even the administration of British Prime Minister Tony Blair instituted the Anti-Social Behaviour Order in 1998, which has also been directly associated to ephebiphobia.

Dating violence has been defined by the United Sates Department of Justice as “the perpetration or threat of an act of violence by at least one member of an unmarried couple on the other member within the context of dating or courtship.” Dating among teenagers from its cover appears like a totally distinct realm where violence ceases to exist. However, statistics show that one in every five teens has experienced violence from     their dating partners.

Violence in teen dating typically starts with the teenager trying to maintain power and control over the other teenager through some form of abuse. In order to seize control of their partner, a teenager may turn to physical violence, harassment, calling names, sexual abuse etc. Teen dating violence decussates all socio-economic and racial lines; with majority of the victims being young women who are likewise at higher risk for sustaining serious injury.

Most teenagers who are faced with this problem are cognizant of their situation yet choose to stay in the abusive relationship. One reason is because teenagers are typically inexperienced with dating relationships. Some perceive it as a status symbol which is often the consequence of pressure from peers to engage in dating relationships. Another reason is that some teenagers get a false sense of security from the relationship.

Based on recent statistics, about 35% of teenage girls will experience teen dating violence. There are two sides to this problem: one is on the side of young women and the other on the side of young men. Young women may believe that they bear the responsibility of solving the problems in their relationship. Others think that they can modify the behavior or “cure” their boyfriend. Some may even feel that there is no one to ask for help. On the other hand, young men may believe that they possess their partners and have the right to control them in any way they wish. Others may think that masculinity entails physical aggressiveness; or they may lose respect from their male friends once they are affectionate and supportive toward their girlfriends.

Without proper guidance and education, teenagers often fall prey to drugs, sex and other abuses. During this tumultuous stage in their lives, teenagers fail to understand what is happening and being young they don’t know how to react to it. By the time they realize their predicament, it is either too late or they are left devastated physically and emotionally. Teen dating violence can have lasting effects in the life of the victim and can persist through adulthood. In order to avoid all these problems, teenagers must understand that they have options; that they can choose better relationships and believe they are valuable individuals who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

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