Making Divorce Easier for the Little Ones

I was reading an article about celebrity couples and messy divorces and how they set an example for parents not in the limelight not to have such chaotic separations in the presence of their children. Divorces that involve children are already complicated without the bitterness and competition in children's faces. These nasty disputes are raising awareness that children should be protected from these things.
About 50 percent of the counties in the U.S. have developed programs that are for parents that are divorcing to complete so that they can learn how to deal with the pressures of divorce without involving the children. Many of these are mandatory, as in the state of Florida. These programs are designed to remind parents of their children's needs and how to address them in going through this major transformation. Parents are constantly reminded not to put children in the middle of their altercations and keep the conflict to a minimum.
Research has proven that these classes has improved communication between parents.

Increase in Teenage Births

In the Article, "Teen Birth Rate Increase Demonstrates Need for Authentic Abstinence Education," http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR07L02 teenage births have increased significantly that the Family Research Council, deemed it necessary to intervene and prevent teenage girls from getting pregnant. Their idea is to implement a contraceptive focused sex education course that would promote risk avoidance. It will build character, and help these individuals make wiser decisions. This issue, such as other family issues, are going to affect each and everyone of us. First of all, if these teenage girls are getting pregnant early, the likelihood of them getting pregnant again and again is high. Not only that, but what if the fathers are not taking care of these out of wedlock children, then our government has to provide assistance. I think the Family Research Council has a valid point, and apparently the Life Management Skills (LMS) is not as effective to school age children as educators may have assumed. I think that if researchers, especially family researchers think that it is important to implement such programs than they should, but some state governments, are opposing.

Marriage and Its Benefits

I wonder how many individuals have taken the time to gather the pros and cons of marriage, and how beneficial it is to everyone including, families and our society. In the article, " Benefits of Marriage," http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS05B01 it lists the benefits, which seems to be a lot, of people who decided to get married. According to the article, marriages were at an all time low in 2002, but with that said, there was an increase in the number of cohabitating couples and children born out of wedlock. These statistics do not seem to be such a surpise, but it indicates that many Americans do not consider the traditional ways of marriage or prefer "testing the waters" before they make such a major decision. Since cohabititation is so common in today's society, it is no longer a taboo like it was 30 years or so ago. This article does a superb job listing and explaining briefly how the benefits of marriage affects every person in the family by reducing less risky behaviors, complementary parental roles, template for future marriage, economically and academically inclined, and it forms a better parent/child relationship. Furthermore, it marriage and how it impacts society as well.

Cause of Poverty in Single Parent Families

In class, we have discused the negative consequences of single parent families, especially families where fathers are not present, and how they contribute to a lot of problems. In my student-led discussion, I discussed some of the problems such as poverty in relation to non-residential fathers. In article, " The Marriage Gap: The Root Cause of Poverty," http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=CU06B01 statistics indicated that 36 % of female-headed families are below the poverty line in relation to 6% of married couples families in poverty. It also broke down women into two different groups. It indicated that one group was educated women and the other single-parent mothers. Researchers stated that single parent mothers who viewed marriage before children as an option lost all of the qualities of a two parent family. For example, a second source of income, babysitter, and a father figure in the midst of their children. This option contridicted a lot of the traditional roles and these "traditional arrangements" are maps that guide and mold their children as they go through out life and have their own children, too.
I think this is a very encouraging article, that should promote the awareness of premarital sex and the hardship of raising children in a single parent home, especially without a residential father.

Correlation Between Child Abuse and Homosexuality

I was reading a news article online from the Family Research Council website "The Connection between Homosexuality and Child Sexual Abuse," http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA03I35#WA03I35 and I have read some interesting findings, that I think everybody should be aware of. So, I thought that I would share it with our class. In a specific case regarding a boy's scout leader molesting boys, scholars identified these repressed, unnatural desires performed by pedophiles may have been abused and acted these behaviors on young boys. Studies also indicate that most men are pedophiles and more than likely are homosexual individuals who prefer males as young as fifteen years old. After reading this article, the findings has opened my eyes and has definitely pesuaded me that these things are prone to happen. If this is a true, as researchers and scholars describe in this article, then should homosexuals (males) have the right to adopt children ? Furthermore, is this issue and research publically known and presented to policy makers? I think further investigation should be made and children should protected.

Teen Birth Rate Rises for First Time Since 1991

The birth rate for teens who are age 15 to 19 just increased 3 percent for the first time since 1991. The Bush administration is enraged since they have spent approximately $176 million on the abstinence only sex education programs. Recent studies have shown that sex-ed programs that try to decrease pregnancy rates actually spark curiousity and increase the rates.
Most of the women in the study who became pregnant claimed to have had educational programs taught about contraceptives and decided they wanted to take on the responsibility of having a child.
In the 1990's, pregnancy rates dropped while condom sales skyrocketed because of the fear of AIDS. Abortion rates have held steady, while the "morning-after pill" is becoming more and more popular.

Media and the effect in teens and children

Television is one of the most popular media sources for children. It is estimated that children under the age of 15 watch approximately 6-8 hours of television each day. A recent study done by Rand Publications showed a strong correlation between the amount of television watched by a teen, and premature sexual activity committed by a teen.
Most shows on MTV have drugs, sex, alcohol, drug use, and other things that are highly inappropriate for any child, especially one that is under the age of 15. When kids watch sexual content on television, they soak in the “facts” and begin to think and treat sexual intercourse the same way they view it on TV, casual and without consequences. The media represents a powerful source of information for teens, and when there is no counter-balance of information provided by parents or educators, consequences increase.
The media make sexual intercourse seem like normal, common behavior even for teens. The message that "Everyone does it" is relayed through television and in the movies. The need for birth control, the risks of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections, or the need for responsibility are rarely discussed. Because of this, the media functions as a "super peer," putting additional pressure on teens to have sex at a young age. In a 2004 survey of 2100 teenage girls, only 11-year-olds said that they do not feel pressure from the media to have sex.