School Sex

RECENT incidents have put the spotlight on the disturbing trend of sexual activity within the nation’s schools. A group of students was caught sharing pornographic material via their cell phones. There were also incidents of sodomy including male primary school students.

According to the experts, there are several factors contributing to the increase in sexual activity among students and urgent steps must be taken to deal with the problem.

Anna Maria Mora, a counsellor and psychologist with local NGO Families in Action, said a combination of many factors is contributing to this recent upsurge in poor and premature sexual development.

She said the primary reason was the inability of most people to understand the instincts that all humans are born with and their inability to properly address issues of sex with their children.

“Human beings are born with an animal nature. We are classified with mammals because we suckle our young and we are warm blooded. We are basically sexual beings and our children have to be looked at as such,” she said.

According to Mora, if children are not taught to respect their sexual nature, all their actions will probably be motivated by sex.

“Because we are born animals, sex and aggression are two characteristics that motivate us to behave. We have to learn to control those two factors of our animal nature. What makes us human beings (is) when we learn to control our sexuality and aggression.”

She is of the firm belief that parents and teachers are failing their children as neither was properly addressing the issues of sex.

“Parents don’t address this part at all. The children go into school and it is not being addressed there either. It is natural for teenagers to feel sexy but they have to learn to respect it, understand and control it,” she said

Another problem, said Mora, was the high rate of teacher absenteeism.

“If kids are not supervised properly, they will start thinking sex. They will begin thinking sex if they are not taught to sublimate.” She said there is a definite need for the diversion of sexual energy into socially acceptable activities.

However, one of the problems is that equipment for some of these activities, especially sports, is very expensive, and that there are no programmes by the Government to help lower income children in that area.

Mora said there is a need for teachers and parents to be trained productively to assist their students with sexual issues. “If children don’t have places to talk about these things; if they don’t have a space where they will not feel judged; if they tell their parents about what they are feeling and they are told they are perverted and deviant, what good can come of it? People need to be trained to help these children.”

Also expressing strong views on the issue was Zena Ramatali, president of the National Parent Teacher’s Association (NPTA). While she agreed with Mora about some of the factors contributing to the problem of over sexualised children, she went a step further. According to Ramatali, there is not only the problem of sex within primary schools and “non-prestige” secondary schools, but an increase in homosexual activity among students in same-sex “prestige schools.”

She also discussed the issue of the teachers themselves, encouraging their students into sexual behaviour.

“I know of a lot of cases where young girls are pregnant for teachers. I know of instances where students and teachers are engaging in sex, as well as student and student,” she said.

While Ramatali admitted that the situation could not be rectified overnight, she said it was important not to “sweep it under the carpet”.

“Firstly, we need training for teachers, so they can be sensitised to the social issues facing the children. We would also like to see enforcement of the law in terms of children being abused at home and child neglect.”

Ramatali said that it was her wish that those who broke these laws would be brought to justice more swiftly and made to be an example to the rest of the nation. She added, “We want to see more responsible media, so they will run more articles and programmes in the print and electronic media for parents and students alike. We need it on an ongoing basis.”

In addition, she said, there is need for a better screening system in primary and secondary schools to determine whether children are sexually active, or being abused.

“We need more guidance officers and social workers. Also, all the primary schools and secondary schools need continuous screening. Tests in hearing and sight are not enough.

“We want it to be more holistic, so if they are being abused, it can be picked up early.

“ I know of two young girls in a junior secondary who are abused — one by her grandfather and the other by her uncle. They confided in a teacher who they didn’t want to report it. The two wanted to commit suicide. It is important to understand that when students behave in a certain way, it is oftentimes because they are really hurting,” she said.