Sunday, October 19, 2008

Parental Denial - A Real Danger

In an episode of Oprah this past week, the Friday Panel discussed a difficult parenting issue that Michelle from Atlanta, Georgia needed advice on. Her 12 year old son received numerous text messages form a 12 year old girl offering him oral sex. Michelle did not know whether or not she should contact the mother. The panel rightly advised her to definitely let the girl’s mother know that her daughter was contemplating engaging in risky behavior. I know that I would want to know!

On a follow up interview, Michelle told the panel that the mother was instantly defensive. She told Michelle that her daughter would never do such a thing and that she did not know ANYTHING about sex let alone oral sex. This mom then went on to attack Michelle saying that it was her son’s fault. This was my experience when we reported bullying at school. My daughter also ended up being re-victimized by a parent and principal in denial.

Clearly, we parents are not capable of believing that our children could do bad things. This mother is way out of touch. By the age of 12, some 10% of children are already engaging in sexual relations. I know that my 11 and 12 year old girls are hearing and seeing things that I would never approve of at their middle school. I am often shocked and mortified by some of the things they are being exposed to on a daily basis at school in this sex crazed society. Children are eager to grow up over night and they think that having sex is the ticket. The bottom line is PARENTAL DENIAL is a very dangerous thing for our children and their future.

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