Teenagers are immature and innocent, they are curious about trying new things in their adolescences. Therefore, they can easily go astray if they lack correct guidance in this period. Premarital sex is a sensitive but attractive topic to teenagers, which requires correct guidance from their parents or schools. It is reported by Wang (2012) that an increasing number of teenagers have been engaging in premarital sex, which is regarded as an improper behavior by the older generations. Premarital sex among teenagers is mainly caused by curiosity, the media and the lack of sex education. Teenagers often start having premarital sex out of curiosity. According to Joshi and Chauhan (2011), “Young people reported various reasons for engaging in sexual activity such as sexual arousal, want of experience, curiosity, fun, and love.” Teenagers are curious about everything in their adolescence. They are interested in trying new things such as premarital sex. Rani, Figueroa and Ainsle (2003) reports that it is curiosity or gaining experience that motivate teenagers to have premarital sex. Sex is believed to be about a characteristic of adolescence and early adulthood that they often have fantasies sex.
Teenagers often imagine the scene about sex in which they will feel excited and pleased after they fall in love with others. That is the reason why they want to have premarital sex. Apart from this factor, another reason can result in this imagination. Another reason is that teenagers having premarital sex are often influenced by the media. Werner-Wilson, Fitzharris and Morrissey (2004) indicate that the free information about sex provided on the internet cause negative effect on teenagers’ understanding of sex behavior. The media equipped with eroticism provides negative examples to teenagers, which is ought to be well controlled by the government. According to Clyde Haberman (1989) , “Pornography corrodes human relationships, exploit individuals, especially women and young people.” It is stated by Escobar-Chaves, Tortolero, Markham, Low, Eitel and Thickstun (2005) that teenagers’ exposure to mass media is the largely unexplored factor that contributes to adolescents’ sexual activity. Pornography that spread by the media easily draws young people’s attentions and arouses their irresistible longings to have premarital sex. It is the government’s duty to come up with some regulations that controls the pornography industry and the media.
A final and equally point is that many teenagers have premarital sex because of the lack of sex education. According to Elliott (2010), “Parents are their children’s best sex educators.” However, Elliott (2010) indicates that a large amount of parents feel embarrassed while talking to their children about sex. Sex education that provides correct guidance to teenagers is neglected not only in families but in schools. Whitehead (1994) states that specialized sex education courses have not been arranged in many secondary schools. Also, Whitehead (1994) reports that it is difficult for teachers to provide comprehensive sex education to teenagers in a mixed class with limited class time. Sex education is such a significant component in teenagers’ growth that should be attached great importance to. Both parents and schools are supposed to correctly guide teenagers to know more about sexual knowledge, which is the best method to avoid accidents caused by premarital sex. With the rapid development of society, teenagers that lack sex education tend to engage much in premarital sex due to their curiosity or the negative models provided by the media.
However, teenagers are not encouraged to have premarital sex because of the immatureness of sexual organs. Both parents and schools are supposed to provide sex educations and sexual knowledge to the teenagers to satisfy their curiosity about sex.
References
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Talking to teens about sex: Mothers negotiate resistance, discomfort, and ambivalence. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 7(4), 310-322. Doi: 10.1007/s13178-010-0023-0 Escobar-Chaves, S., Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Low, B. J., Eitel, P., & Thickstun, P. (2005).
Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Pediatrics, 116303-326. Doi 10.1542 Joshi, B., & Chauhan, S. (2011).
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Premarital sex is common, survey finds. Chinadaily. Werner-Wilson, R., Fitzharris, J., &
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