I was listening to the radio station on one afternoon while I was driving. During the week, I like to listen to the talk radio because they usually discuss some interesting things. On this particular afternoon, the topic was kids/teens having sex with teachers and other men/women of authority that the community looks up to and respects. Also, these are the people that you hope are helping you to look after your children and keep them on the right path. Anyway.
As people kept calling in, there was the story of where a girl talked about a minister and her having sex when she was 16 years old. She said that this man had her doing the freakiest things and that he had turned her out. He later had went on to get married and invited her to the wedding.
Another caller said that he had been injured in a game and his teacher was helping to bandage him. As she was wrapping the bandage around him, she was going lower and lower until she was in territory that she had no business being.
Another guy was talking about all the things the "Sisters" had done at the Catholic school that he attended. He actually lost his virginity at the age of 17 to someone who was supposed to help guide and mentor him.
I know the Catholic church has been under a lot of scrutiny lately, but this is not only happening in the Catholic church. I hate that I didn't get to hear the whole program because it sounded like it was really interesting. Not only were they talking to the teens who where going through these ordeals, but also trying to get the teachers and ministers, preachers, or whomever to call in and help shed light on the issue and give their thoughts. Also those who would have been bold enough to admit that they had sex with someone underage.
This is starting to become a bigger issue everyday. We have seen this with the lady, whose name I cannot remember right now, that had sex with her 13 year old student and had his child, and now they are in a relationship together. Not to mention the other lady who had gone to trial for having sex with her student, but got off because she was too pretty.
Now we all give R. Kelly and the likes hell, but what about this? What do you do? How do you handle it? How traumatic is it for the child that went through it. Yes, there are teens out there that look much older than they look. People don't buy it with R. Kelly. They say he should have known better still. Some say these girls these days are spreading their legs just as fast as a woman over the age of 18-25. Still, people don't buy it with R. Kelly. Is there an age where a teen can be held responsible for their sexual actions even if it is with an adult that is over 18? We all know the law is not always right or fair for that matter.
This is a very disturbing issue for me. I guess it is because there is so much that goes on in the community and it is never talked about until things start to boil over, or it is swept under the rug so much that those dust balls have turned into something so huge under that rug that you can no longer ignore it.
Seriously, what do you do? So much of the faith that Black people have comes from their religion. You have to send your children to school, unless you home school them. If you are not home schooling them, then you run the risk of being arrested for not allowing your child to get an education. That is funny to me because it feels like yesterday when we would talk about how Blacks had to fight to get an education. That is another issue for another time.
Point being, if Black people cannot trust to send their children to school because it is the teachers that they have to worry about and not the other kids, what do you do? If Black people cannot trust their spiritual father or spiritual mother, nuns, priests, or whomever and start to lose faith. what is left? Is it a possiblity that this could get so out of hand that Black people will question faith. Of course you can always go to another church, but the damage has been done. It would always be at the back of your mind what happened. Of course their is forgiveness and moving on, but can you really move on from that?
This post is just my mind thinking. I have no answers but only questions. Really, what do you do? What would you do? Are you worried or concerned? Has someone you know had this problem? How do you know your kids, cousin, niece, or nephew aren't going through this now and just haven't said anything? Who should we worry about more? The people closest to us? Or someone that they meet on the streets?
Showing posts with label sex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sex. Show all posts
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
New survey reveals unexpected duality in attitudes of black youth in America Black youth want to be politically active but believe government ignores them; they back sex education in schools and practice safe sex; they’re top consumers of rap music but disapprove of its violence and portrayal of women
Author Unknown
Feb. 1, 2007
Although African-American youth are just as politically motivated as Hispanic and white youth, believing that they have the skills to participate and can make a difference, they are skeptical of the political process, asserting that, “leaders in government care little about people like me.” This conclusion is the result of a new comprehensive national study of youth opinions, which also shows that black youth are more likely than Hispanics and whites to use protection during sex, are critical consumers of rap music and videos, and are more conservative in their social attitudes than other youth.
The study, titled the Black Youth Project, was launched to provide a more comprehensive and complex perspective of African-American youth, said Cathy Cohen, leader of the project and Professor in Political Science at the University of Chicago. “There has been a lot of talk about African-American youth from people like Bill Cosby. Unfortunately, most of these comments are not grounded in any type of empirical reality. Similarly, there have been a number of other studies of African-American young people, largely focused on the outcomes of their behaviors that do not include the voices and views of young black people.
“The Black Youth Project is committed to making the ideas and attitudes of young people our central focus. By asking young people themselves about important issues like sex education, police discrimination, abortion or same-sex marriage, the Black Youth Project is able to provide data that will help build effective policies that can significantly improve the lives and prospects of young black people. This study is about research, not ranting,” said Cohen.
The team surveyed 1,590 black, white and Hispanic youth nationwide between the ages of 15 and 25 to ask them about their sexual behaviors and attitudes, about their views on social and cultural issues, and their opinions on government and politics, as well as other topics. The researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with about 40 young black people who completed the survey.
On political issues, the team found both hopeful and discouraging signs of political engagement among black youth. For example, the study found that 79 percent of young blacks feel that participating in politics can make a difference, a figure similar to that of Hispanics and whites. At the same time, a majority of young blacks and Hispanics agreed that leaders in government care very little about people like them. Similarly, nearly half (48 percent) of black young adults and adolescents agreed with the following statement: “The government treats most immigrants better than it treats most black people in this country;” while only 29 percent of white youth and 18 percent of Hispanic youth agreed.
“Black young people are trying to reconcile two conflicting perspectives. One perspective is based in the rhetoric of the government and other institutions, which suggests that we now exist in a color-blind society where everyone is judged merely on merit. The other perspective is rooted in the reality of discrimination that confronts far too many young black people. Given their reality, it is not surprising that a majority of black respondents also said that it is hard for young black people to get ahead because they face so much discrimination,” said Cohen.
The study also found young people embracing newer forms of political involvement. A quarter of black youth, nearly the same amount as those in the other groups, reported “buycotting” during the last 12-months (buying a product because of the company’s social or political values). Smaller but significant percentages of all young people reported signing either paper or e-mail petitions, and sending an e-mail or posting on a political blog.
When asked about their sexual attitudes and behaviors, the team found that most young people have positive attitudes toward sex and feel relatively in control of their sexual activities. Consistent with previous studies, the overwhelming majority of young people ages 18 to 25 in each racial/ethnic group reported having had sexual intercourse. About one third of the young people ages 15 to 17 reported having sex. Among all black youth, 77 percent reported using protection every time or almost every time they had intercourse, compared with 64 percent for Hispanics and 66 percent for whites.
A majority of young people, mostly young African Americans (76 percent), reported feeling very sure they could tell their partners what they felt comfortable doing sexually. Nearly 90 percent of young people in each ethnic and racial group felt they could convince their partners to use protection before having sex, the survey showed. More than 90 percent of all young people surveyed agreed that sex education should be mandatory in high schools.
Young people also reported confidence in their ability to pick up on negative messages in rap music, which is listened to daily by 58 percent of black youth, compared with 45 percent of Hispanic youth and 23 percent of white youth.
“The overwhelming majority of young people agree with the statement: ‘Rap music videos contain too many references to sex,’” Cohen said. The study found that 72 percent of black and Hispanic youth agreed with the statement, which was supported by 68 percent of white youth. Similarly, the majority of all youth agree that, “rap music videos portray black women in negative and offensive ways,” with black women and girls more likely to strongly agree with this statement. The study showed that 62 percent of black youth, 54 percent of Hispanic youth and 62 percent of white youth think rap music videos are degrading to black women.
On social issues, the surveys found that African-American young people are more likely to agree that homosexuality is always wrong (55 percent for blacks, 36 percent for Hispanics and 35 percent for whites). A majority of African-American youth also opposed legalizing same-sex marriages, (58 percent for blacks, 36 percent for Hispanics and 35 percent for whites).
More information about the survey is available at http://blackyouthproject.com. The Ford Foundation financed the Black Youth Project. The data was gathered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Author Unknown
Feb. 1, 2007
Although African-American youth are just as politically motivated as Hispanic and white youth, believing that they have the skills to participate and can make a difference, they are skeptical of the political process, asserting that, “leaders in government care little about people like me.” This conclusion is the result of a new comprehensive national study of youth opinions, which also shows that black youth are more likely than Hispanics and whites to use protection during sex, are critical consumers of rap music and videos, and are more conservative in their social attitudes than other youth.
The study, titled the Black Youth Project, was launched to provide a more comprehensive and complex perspective of African-American youth, said Cathy Cohen, leader of the project and Professor in Political Science at the University of Chicago. “There has been a lot of talk about African-American youth from people like Bill Cosby. Unfortunately, most of these comments are not grounded in any type of empirical reality. Similarly, there have been a number of other studies of African-American young people, largely focused on the outcomes of their behaviors that do not include the voices and views of young black people.
“The Black Youth Project is committed to making the ideas and attitudes of young people our central focus. By asking young people themselves about important issues like sex education, police discrimination, abortion or same-sex marriage, the Black Youth Project is able to provide data that will help build effective policies that can significantly improve the lives and prospects of young black people. This study is about research, not ranting,” said Cohen.
The team surveyed 1,590 black, white and Hispanic youth nationwide between the ages of 15 and 25 to ask them about their sexual behaviors and attitudes, about their views on social and cultural issues, and their opinions on government and politics, as well as other topics. The researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with about 40 young black people who completed the survey.
On political issues, the team found both hopeful and discouraging signs of political engagement among black youth. For example, the study found that 79 percent of young blacks feel that participating in politics can make a difference, a figure similar to that of Hispanics and whites. At the same time, a majority of young blacks and Hispanics agreed that leaders in government care very little about people like them. Similarly, nearly half (48 percent) of black young adults and adolescents agreed with the following statement: “The government treats most immigrants better than it treats most black people in this country;” while only 29 percent of white youth and 18 percent of Hispanic youth agreed.
“Black young people are trying to reconcile two conflicting perspectives. One perspective is based in the rhetoric of the government and other institutions, which suggests that we now exist in a color-blind society where everyone is judged merely on merit. The other perspective is rooted in the reality of discrimination that confronts far too many young black people. Given their reality, it is not surprising that a majority of black respondents also said that it is hard for young black people to get ahead because they face so much discrimination,” said Cohen.
The study also found young people embracing newer forms of political involvement. A quarter of black youth, nearly the same amount as those in the other groups, reported “buycotting” during the last 12-months (buying a product because of the company’s social or political values). Smaller but significant percentages of all young people reported signing either paper or e-mail petitions, and sending an e-mail or posting on a political blog.
When asked about their sexual attitudes and behaviors, the team found that most young people have positive attitudes toward sex and feel relatively in control of their sexual activities. Consistent with previous studies, the overwhelming majority of young people ages 18 to 25 in each racial/ethnic group reported having had sexual intercourse. About one third of the young people ages 15 to 17 reported having sex. Among all black youth, 77 percent reported using protection every time or almost every time they had intercourse, compared with 64 percent for Hispanics and 66 percent for whites.
A majority of young people, mostly young African Americans (76 percent), reported feeling very sure they could tell their partners what they felt comfortable doing sexually. Nearly 90 percent of young people in each ethnic and racial group felt they could convince their partners to use protection before having sex, the survey showed. More than 90 percent of all young people surveyed agreed that sex education should be mandatory in high schools.
Young people also reported confidence in their ability to pick up on negative messages in rap music, which is listened to daily by 58 percent of black youth, compared with 45 percent of Hispanic youth and 23 percent of white youth.
“The overwhelming majority of young people agree with the statement: ‘Rap music videos contain too many references to sex,’” Cohen said. The study found that 72 percent of black and Hispanic youth agreed with the statement, which was supported by 68 percent of white youth. Similarly, the majority of all youth agree that, “rap music videos portray black women in negative and offensive ways,” with black women and girls more likely to strongly agree with this statement. The study showed that 62 percent of black youth, 54 percent of Hispanic youth and 62 percent of white youth think rap music videos are degrading to black women.
On social issues, the surveys found that African-American young people are more likely to agree that homosexuality is always wrong (55 percent for blacks, 36 percent for Hispanics and 35 percent for whites). A majority of African-American youth also opposed legalizing same-sex marriages, (58 percent for blacks, 36 percent for Hispanics and 35 percent for whites).
More information about the survey is available at http://blackyouthproject.com. The Ford Foundation financed the Black Youth Project. The data was gathered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Relationships of Teens and Lack of Respect
What happened to the black family? Back in the day, people got married for love and not convienience. Today you'd be lucky to find a couple who have been married for more than 5 years. It's hard to imagine what is going to happen to the children when they grow up. They barely have respect for themselves, so of course they don't have respect for others. Girls think they have to look like video hoes with European features. Boys think they have to be thugs, drug dealers, or just plain low-life nobodies and that is supposed to be cool and acceptable. How do you get these kids or blacks in general to realize that they are worth so much more than that?
To be honest, some black women worry too much about black men being with white women or women of another race period. If he isn't someone you would date, then why do you care? Also, women spend too much time fighting over someone that doesn't want them. It became the thing to do to let guys "run a train" or have multiple lovers without protection. These are the same girls who get mad when someone does call them out their name. They are ready to fight. The way these girls dress these days make me cringe and it is horrible that their mothers are the ones paying for these things.
When it come to the boys, it is cool to have all these girls fawning over them and chasing them. When they get burned, they want to punish every woman on the earth by spreading it to as many that are willing to lay with them and not tell them that they have an STD. Boys lie about how sexually active they are because they are afraid of being called gay or a punk or whatever other name is out there. Again lack of respect for self. Why is it so great to have females stalking you? When did that become cool? Then the guys sit around and talk about the girl and what she did, and tell them to get at her or whatever, and she is dumb enough to let it happen. She thinks it's cute.
I went to get Chinese food one night and there were these four guys that were still in high school. They were sitting there eating and actually not cursing for a change. Then this girl they go to school with walks through the door, and one says that she is so cute that she can have his baby. When did that become sexy? When did that become attractive? What happened to asking someone on a date, and being shy and nervous when you meet the parents for the first time? What happened to sitting up on the phone all night talking? The nights when you were talking and feel asleep on the phone? I'm not saying these things didn't happen way back when, but it wasn't out of control and running rampant. Like mentioned before, you felt ashamed when more than just the person you were with knew you were having sex. You never wanted your parents to know. Now days, you would be lucky to find out if the parents care. Then these are the kids having children as teens, and the cycle repeats and gets worse.
To be honest, some black women worry too much about black men being with white women or women of another race period. If he isn't someone you would date, then why do you care? Also, women spend too much time fighting over someone that doesn't want them. It became the thing to do to let guys "run a train" or have multiple lovers without protection. These are the same girls who get mad when someone does call them out their name. They are ready to fight. The way these girls dress these days make me cringe and it is horrible that their mothers are the ones paying for these things.
When it come to the boys, it is cool to have all these girls fawning over them and chasing them. When they get burned, they want to punish every woman on the earth by spreading it to as many that are willing to lay with them and not tell them that they have an STD. Boys lie about how sexually active they are because they are afraid of being called gay or a punk or whatever other name is out there. Again lack of respect for self. Why is it so great to have females stalking you? When did that become cool? Then the guys sit around and talk about the girl and what she did, and tell them to get at her or whatever, and she is dumb enough to let it happen. She thinks it's cute.
I went to get Chinese food one night and there were these four guys that were still in high school. They were sitting there eating and actually not cursing for a change. Then this girl they go to school with walks through the door, and one says that she is so cute that she can have his baby. When did that become sexy? When did that become attractive? What happened to asking someone on a date, and being shy and nervous when you meet the parents for the first time? What happened to sitting up on the phone all night talking? The nights when you were talking and feel asleep on the phone? I'm not saying these things didn't happen way back when, but it wasn't out of control and running rampant. Like mentioned before, you felt ashamed when more than just the person you were with knew you were having sex. You never wanted your parents to know. Now days, you would be lucky to find out if the parents care. Then these are the kids having children as teens, and the cycle repeats and gets worse.
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