Teenagers are not adults, but neither are they children. This patchwork of mix-n-match labeling, long arms and short torsos, oily skin and red lipstick, huge feet and tiny attention spans, cause many teens to race their own hormones to the finish line, sometimes using their sexuality to define themselves, to jump the line out of the chaos and into adulthood; to finish with the awkward developmental greyness.
Yet our teen pregnancy rates are high enough to raise eyebrows and sound alarm bells. What kind of information is out there and what are our teens doing to avail themselves of the right information to make choices that will promote a healthy attitude toward sex as well as allow them to have rich, rewarding, fulfilling and economically sound lives? While some teens can and do have safe, fulfilling, exciting and passionate sex, many are struggling with emotional boundaries, self esteem, complex social dynamics and, in too many cases, the anguish, confusion and possible regret of pregnancy.
Of course this does not imply that there are no successful teen parents; there always have been and there always will be. However, to support a family is difficult for those adults who have access to health insurance and income, never mind a high school age student with vague prospects.
In the article 'Emotional Development in Teens' the author breaks down the developmental stages into five main categories (for more on this, click on: http://www.austinpartners.org/sites/default/files/images/Emotional%20Development%20in%20Teens_0.pdf).
Finding one's identity, coming to terms with one's sexuality, and establishing intimate emotional connections are all part of the work of the teen years. The pull toward sexuality is not inherently bad or wrong; it is biological, social, and emotional. Yet we need to be connected as parents, teachers and mentors, to our teens in order that their choices may remain as healthy as possible, and to arm them with information, with the power to make the right choices.