The Protection of Adolescents

Tke Protection of Adolescents By VALERIA H. PARKER, M. D. Former President of National Council of Women THROUGH years of inten- sive effort in the educational field, many of the old pre- judices and inhibitions toward the subject of sex have been dis- persed, and a large proportion of those responsible for child train- ing are ceasing to consider the sex instinct as essentially degrading, something not to be spoken of, and to be thought of only in secret, and are realizing the pos- sibility of training it toward cre- ative outlets and wholesome per- sonal affections instead of permit- ting it to drift into undesirable channels. AS a result of this changing at- titude, an increasing number of parents are found who have prepared themselves to meet their opportunity of interpreting the facts of reproduction truthfully to the young child, of preparing the pre-adolescent child for the phys- ical changes incident to his coming maturity, and of entering into the understanding and confidence of the unstable adolescent in his struggle for emotional and social adjustments, thus insuring a more stable understanding and satisfac- tory attitude toward the alluring adventure of his own mating and home-building. The embarrass- ing silence, the mysterious post- ponement, the household myth of- fered formerly to the trustful child who showed a natural interest in the origin of new life have given place to a more truthful and satis- fying explanation based on scien- tific fact, clothed in dignified yet simple language, conveying some- thing of the universality of the process by which new life unfolds from other lives and something of the strength and tenderness of the tie which binds together the members of the family. "C OR too long the vocabulary dealing with sex consisted on the one hand of the obscenities in- cident to the street and school yard, shocking and yet stimulating to the curiosity of the uninitiated victim of the stork story, and on the other of the scientific terms available to students of medicine and other sciences. Through the development of simple scientific and non-sentimental material for the layman, a vocabulary consist- ent with the dignity and impor- tance of the subject has been de- veloped so that the child need not learn his first facts concerning the "gift of life" from those who have wallowed in the mire of filth and obscenity. In the fields of general health and hygiene, and training of mind and character, the early years of childhood are recognized as of vital significance. Attitudes, impres- sions, habits, are firmly rooted during the first twelve years of life, and bear largely upon adult character and habits. How im- portant, then, that care should be taken to see that the child's first impressions of sex should unfold naturally, that its interpretations are given him by those most in- terested in his character develop- ment, since his later sex choices and habits may be so largely influenced thereby. During the pre-adoles- cent years, the eager questioning mind governs a body in which sex is largely dormant, and the child thinks of himself as the cre- ated rather than the creator. Then is the time to acquaint him with the wonders of the reproductive process by which the world of plants and flowers renews itself each springtime, by which it is peopled always with birds and ani- mals and fishes, by which his own race moves on from generation to generation. TJERE is the period when "Tell me a true story" is insistently heard and no story can be made to carry more fascination and in- terest than the one which tells of the tiny egg, no larger than the point of a pin, which having received its other half of life from Father, grew in a safe place in Mother's body, until in nine months' time, nourished through her blood, sharing her strength, after miraculous changes, his own little body was ready to come into the world. To know how tiny garments were made ready before- hand, how plans for his future were talked of by those who loved him for months before they ever saw him, how his coming into the world meant pain and danger for Mother and anxiety for Father, all help him to understand a new and special value in his own life. All this will seem the more natur- al if he has already become famil- iar with the plant and animal parents and how their children grow. The training of the story teller is of less importance than his attitude of mind and manner. When these are free from embar- rassment, none will be found in the child, providing his point of view has not already been dis- torted. Maeterlinck's "Intelligence of the Flowers," his description of the bridal flight of the queen bee; 'The Way Life Begins," by Ver- non and Bertha Cady; 'The Three Gifts of Life," by Nellie M. Smith; "Plant and Animal Children; How They Grow," by Ellen Torelle, are among the many sources of interesting and inspiring material for the story teller. No longer need the adolescent boy or girl pass through the be- wilderment of ^physical changes, the storms of emotional tension, the vagaries of sexual attraction, fearful, lonely and misunderstood. Social hygiene supplies wholesome knowledge and understanding which may stimulate a pride in developing manhood or woman- hood; the conscious sublimation of instinctive and pressing emotions through interesting regular and constructive work as well as in wholesome recreational and ath- letic outlets, together with such an idealization of the possibilities for development and happiness which lie in married love as may bring practical results in the protection of the love instinct, from disas- trous exploitation or adventuring. 'V'OUTH is the natural period for joy. Here are found great driving energies, sparkling ideals, freedom from full responsibility, keen sense of enjoyment, new pride

The Improvement Era for June, 1930 545 in personal appearance, and yearn- ing for the beautiful. Here are the dreams and visions of the hap- py ending to the story — "and life went happily ever after." Here, too, are the bitter loneliness, the flashing moods of depression, the black feeling of being misunder- stood, the bewilderment over the pull between custom and desire, the rebellion at interference with developing individuality and against the stupid usualness of life. How carefully must now be con- sidered the needs of this soon pass- ing child — all unused to his grow- ing body with its new attractions and desires and its new reactions to the outside world. To the biological and physiological knowl- edge, social hygiene now adds a new knowledge of the psychology of the emotions — an appreciation of what is involved in wise choice of friends and conduct and of how easily the present substitute may dazzle one to mar or to destroy a future, enduring joy. Now comes the need for understanding social relationships, pride of face, re- sponsibility to future generations, the relation of the individual to society — for in this period he must gather in large part through his own choice, the associations and impressions which will mold his adult years and make or mar them. The girl who dreams of the fairy prince and frequently mis- takes him in her eager watching for his coming, may, with care, be stimulated to make herself more worthy of his coming and to fore- swear the gay raiment and debo- nair mien of her dream lover for a reality less romantic, yet more durable for the wear and tear of everyday life. The boy whose eager fancy is attracted by beauty arrayed in loveliness, and who longs impulsively for its complete possession, can be aided to enrich his definition of beauty and to demand it in its fulness. He can be helped to find out that wife- hood and motherhood require more than will merely delight the eye and the senses. His struggle for clean living is a real and in- tense combat, once he is launched upon it. We must not fail to give him clear and definite under- standing as to the importance of the victory and to point out the weapons which will aid him as well as the subtle enemies to be feared. Community and School Help HP HE school as well as the home is commencing to recognize the importance and possibility of in- cluding simplified sciences, prac- tical physiology, and physical edu- cation in the lower schools as well as the high schools and colleges. This means practical aid in meet- ing personal and social sex prob- lems for the great mass of children who pass from the grammar grades into the great industrial world with its many moral and health hazards for those who are wholly unprepared. The church and Sun- day Schools are fast recognizing their responsibility in replacing vague and half-understood state- ments concerning "purity" by di- rect sex character training. From all these efforts we may hope to avert some of those tragedies of young lives traceable to the failure of home, church and school to recognize the need of and to pro- vide adequate training and guid- ance for a strong and fundamental instinct. By such methods we may hope to bring about a prepara- tion for mating and parenthood which will decrease the propor- tionate number of broken homes and the consequent disaster to child life. The licensing and supervision of public amusement places and the provision of adequate and whole- some opportunities for recreation are of equal importance in pre- venting the misuse of the child's natural need of, and in meeting his overwhelming desire for play and emotional outlets. Such group activities as are developed through the Bee-Hive Girls, the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Camp Fire Girls, the Woodcraft League and the host of other organizations for youth are of inestimable value in meeting the social yearnings of boys and girls. QUITE naturally their eager restless energies demand fre- quent and thrilling good times. Boys and girls have sought one another for joyful adventures since the world began. Any attempt to thwart or to repress the joy demand or the urge for friendship and admiration from the other sex but swells the rebellious tide. Together, boys and girls will they find their good times — and all too often their tragedies — to- gether. Can we not avert the tragedy and preserve the joy? Here is our hopeful task — the frank un- derstanding of the need of the joy and the companionship — the plan- ning of new delights and outlets for youthful energies and interests. Happy the home to which boys and girls in search of good times may be always sure of a welcome and a place for their romping and their laughter. There is no truth in the oft repeated statement that the young people of today are worse than those of the former generation. They are, however, confronted with new conditions for which they need a new education and preparation if they are to meet them successfully. To summarize this preparation it must include three definite factors — F i r s t, knowledge of the laws of health, including those especially relating to manhood and womanhood. They should have opportunity to know of the powerful fluids which accumulate in special glands in early adolescence and, absorbed back into the bloodstream, are re- sponsible for the rapid changes of body and mind which are a char- acteristic of early adolescence. It is important that parents should understand these changes them- selves and cultivate both patience and a sense of humor to carry them through the unstable and difficult period as close companions of the young people who learn more from example than from precept. It is hard to see the affec- tionate, demonstrative child de- part; and the self-opinionated, non-demonstrative, reckless young person sometimes makes us anx- ious, but it is necessary that he should now learn to make his own choices, and wise that the older generation should try to assist by providing knowledge of human relationships and the .possibility and desirability of emotional con- trol. Playing with fire in the emotional world is as dangerous as elsewhere. Both the boy and the girl need to know that the fight for clean living is possible and bears a relationship to future hap- piness. THE second necessity for the protection of adolescence is the provision of outlets for youthful energies. — These are work and play. Work should be interesting and develop unfolding abilities. It (Continued on page 554)