Why is our society so against teenage sexuality?

[AGuyFromCleveland]

Everyone says "they're children, they don't understand". But in most other societies, and even in European society several hundred years ago, most girls got married when they were 14-16 years old. Juliet from R&J was 14 I believe. So why is there so much denial? I'm sure if an alien race was studying humans they would say "they reach sexual maturity at 14-16 years old". It's just Christianity and our countries flawed concepts of victorian morality that make it seem like a bad thing for teenagers to be sexual.

[BILL]

lets take a couple things into consideration shall we.

1) teenagers have absolutely NO idea how difficult it is raising a child in todays society.

2) the people that are so adamant against teenage sexuality (the adults) are typically the ones that have to support the child if its born through varies means.

3) teenagers are notoriously lax when it comes to safety (they are invincible after all) so they tend not to consider things such as STD's or STI's

4) once a teenager becomes sexual, they tend to focus almost entirely on sex. putting things such as their education and future on the back burner. they lose focus on what is truly important.

Now this is not mean that all teenagers fit into these few reasons listed here but it is proven that a much higher percentage of them do than older people. Sex has consequences, both physical AND emotional that younger people may not be fully prepared for enough to handle.

[Chris]

Sex comes with responsibilities and sometimes, consequences. It is best in a mature, commited relationship with someone you trust. Teenagers have been scientifically proven to think more abstractedly than mature adults, changing at about 22. They are reckless, impulsive, over-emotional, and easily influenced by peer pressure. When they are older, I would rather my kids take care of their own sexual needs( I'm sure you know what I mean) than have sex with some person they've been dating a week or two and feel they have to because of social and media pressure.

[Observer]

Because R & J is a play and not a real live story. Most children 14-18 do not have the ability to take care of a baby or the common sense to take precautions and not get pregnant. It has much less to do with religion or Victorian attitudes. Actually the Victorians were very sexual.