Teen birth rates are eight times higher in the U.S. than in Holland. Abortion rates are twice as high. The American AIDS rate is three times greater than that of the Dutch. What are they doing right that we're not?
For starters, two-thirds of Dutch parents report allowing their teenage children to have sleepovers with their boyfriend or girlfriend, a situation even the most liberal American parents would rarely permit. Is there something Americans should learn from the Dutch about relaxed attitudes toward sex (and drugs — indeed, the Netherlands has more lenient drug laws than the U.S., but three times lower rates of marijuana use)?
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8 comments:
Yeah this is true... Here is why;
The theory of Probability, in the sense of the mind... What I mean is, it is all in your head...
When you have laws and restrictions people backlash PERIOD!!! Just because of a law or restriction...
You allow them the freedoms to do what they want, when they want, they have no urge to break said laws, or restrictions...
Basically your making less out of it than necessary... In return, people have an better understanding and a lesser will to break those said laws...
To explain further, Look at under age drinking... Because it is fun, and you get a thrilling affect from breaking the law, people do it... When your old enough to buy a drink, they rarely do because its what they say "Boring"... Now I know this isn't the case in ALL cases but the majority it is...
i agree with 3:46. when i was 18, my boyfriend was allowed to stay over at my house. we are now 31/32 & married with 1 child. i could always talk to my mom about sex (i'm sure i could have talked to my dad too but that might have been awkward LOL).
now HIS parents were totally different. i was NOT allowed to stay at his house (but they didn't care if he stayed at mine, which was strange...) i guess that had that mentality "not under my roof".
pre-marital sex? yes. protection? hell yes. big deal? not at all. <---that's the key... NOT A BIG DEAL.
Yeah, and the Dutch don't have give birth at age 15 and give their kids names like LaSheQueasha, then use the system.
8:57
you gonna let your child go down that route?
I believe the low teen birth rate also has to do with European culture which even though more liberal stigmatizes teen/illegitmate births. It's looked down as something the "lower class" does. The European middle class has an elitist attitude and children are taught only people like the gypsies and the tinkers are romping around in the sack making babies. Their attitudes are we are much better than that so therefore we focus on education, traveling abroad, learning other languages, etc.
Another misconception involves Amsterdam and it's supposedly low crime rate due to liberal soft drug policies. My friend from Spain had no sooner stepped off a train in Amsterdam when he was robbed of his leather jacket.
This low crime rate is a result of the just as liberal, lenient crime policies.
Another friend who as a merchant marine made many trips to Amsterdam has similar stories of being mugged and pick pocketed.
The European attitude is all about appearing to be sophisticated, cultured, refined and much more civilized then the rest of the world. Birth control is readily available and is used by teens, who it has been bred into this superior attitude.
Also I have relatives and friends all over Europe and I don't know one that would allow their teen a sleepover with a member of another sex. They are liberal but not that liberal.
@9:25
yes - if i feel he's a responsible person. if not, than no. i will certainly encourage abstinence but won't threaten him with consequences if he's not. i will HIGHLY ENCOURAGE protection and if need be help him to get protection.
i think to expect and assume that all kids are abstaining from sex is irresponsible.
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