In the teenage parties of my youth, there was always a room left in darkness, furnished with armchairs and couches, where couples could retire from the melee to "pash on" in privacy. By midnight, adolescent hormones being what they are, there was barely a spare place left. Reliably, one of those left out of these delights would reach in and flick on the light switch, revealing a blur of withdrawn hands and hastily rearranged clothing, before a chorus of protest sent them scuttling away.
I am reminded of this whenever La Trobe University brings out its six-yearly report on Australian teen sexuality, our nation's best guess at what young people as a whole are doing, and thinking, about sex. I say guess because the reality, as the study's authors readily admit, is far more complex.
Which you would never guess from the coverage. Reporting of the study's latest findings painted a sunny picture, which the media quickly spun into that four-word phrase that so reassures both slack parents and academics fearing the dreaded slur of "moral panic". The kids are OK was the universal conclusion. Out of the limelight though, there were howls of outrage from those close to young people - teachers, therapists, sexual health specialists, because when you work with the drowning, the average height above sea level is not a great consolation.
Read more:Ā http://www.theage.com.au/comment/sexualisation-a-danger-to-teen-health-20140505-zr4ri.html#ixzz30xDFwr2w
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