Page 45 - Dainfern Precinct Living June 2022

Today's Child

Are we giving our kids enough moral guidance?

ne of the shocking these days claim that they give lessons more vulnerable to sexual exploitation,
repercussions of the specifically aimed at making the kiddies but actually, boys have always been
COVID-19 lockdowns, aware that inappropriate touching of equally at risk of being exploited
according to the any of their body parts is unacceptable. sexually – it’s just that people decades
South African Medical ago seldom spoke about it – the boys
OResearch Council, has The kiddies are encouraged to tell were expected to ‘man-up’ and deal
been the alarming increase in teenage someone if they have a bad experience with their emotional confusion and
pregnancies, which in Gauteng, or if they feel vulnerable – tell a teacher, trauma, to ‘get over it’ and move on. The
increased by 60% since the start of tell Mom or Dad – say something to reality is, the only difference between
the pandemic. There were reports that someone who they trust. One assumes, boys and girls being sexually abused is
girls as young as 10 were affected. This therefore, that this kind of instruction that boys can’t fall pregnant.
is a worrying trend that needs to be remains relevant throughout their
stopped in its tracks. childhood and adolescence and they PROVIDING A MORAL COMPASS
will remember what to do. But, let’s be There are a number of points to
STATUTORY RAPE honest, how much of what you were consider when addressing the
Regardless of whether a girl-child taught when you were 3 or 4 years situation of the sexuality of tweens
encourages sexual engagement or old, do you still remember? And just and teens and ensuring that they are
not, the law states that if she is under because this subject was covered at Pre- properly informed.
the age of 16, and a teen over the age school, can one assume that some kind 1. The first thing that you have to do,
of 16, or an adult engages in sexual of sex education continues through is find out how much they already
conduct with her, it’s categorised as Primary School and High School? know and whether what they have
statutory rape. No child under the age learnt is accurate information.
of 12 can consent to sex, but according With so much information freely
to the website: www.lawforall.co.za, available, can one assume that, merely 2. The next step is to break the topic
the situation blurs somewhat if tweens by doing a Google search or watching down into bite-sized chunks and
and teens have consensual sex with YouTube videos, the kids are learning all if you feel uncomfortable about
someone their own age or two years about the mechanics of sexual conduct discussing the topic, find ways
either younger or older than them. without needing the intervention of a to source the information that
responsible parent or guardian? will help, or find someone who is
“The Sexual Offences and Related knowledgeable, trustworthy and
Matters Amendment Act (2007) states THIS AFFECTS BOYS TOO of the right temperament to chat
that the age of consent for both boys It may seem that with the greater about the ins and outs of sexuality.
and girls is 16 years of age. Of course, acceptance of bi-sexuality and LGBT
there are some exceptions: for example, (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) 3. Discussing sexuality has to be done
if both partners are between the ages behaviour, boys have suddenly become at an appropriate moment when
of 12 and 16, they won’t be criminally
charged; and it is not criminal for a child
under the age of 16 to have sex with a
partner who is less than 2 years older
than they are. However, South African
law declares that no child under the age
of 12 can consent to sex, and therefore,
sex with a pre-teen is categorised as
rape or sexual assault. An important
takeaway here, though, is that even if
someone is of age to have sex, it doesn’t
mean they automatically consent to
having sex. They can still say or imply
‘no’.”
Whilst the research indicates that the
predominance of teen pregnancies
continue to occur in poorer
communities, kids from affluent families
are not immune. With the prevalence
of broken homes, single-parent headed
households where the parent has to
be away at work, and blended families
where there are step-parents and step-
siblings, it’s the tweens and teens who
are the most vulnerable.

THE DANGER OF MAKING
ASSUMPTIONS
Many Nursery Schools and Pre-schools
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