
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 10, 1993                   TAG: 9305100303
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DON'T BASE DECISIONS ON SLICK MARKETING

I READ with interest Mark Holben's April 16 letter regarding Project Respect. I attended Mike Long's presentation at the Roanoke County administration building and found him to be a dynamic speaker with good ideas on how material on this subject should be presented to teens. Outstanding presentation methods and skills, however, do not an outstanding curriculum make.

Laura Williamson's article April 1 offered cause for concern with the Sex Respect materials in that their use has been challenged in several courts throughout the country and that the information given in the text is often medically inaccurate.

As a parent of two teens in the county schools, I think we need to look at the actual teachers' guides and workbooks and ask ourselves these questions:

Does the material provide students with a good basis for knowledge and skills they will need to develop throughout their lives to make healthy, responsible, honest and respectful decisions about sex and sexuality?

Does it provide information on the benefits of abstinence and the emotional and physical risks of too-early and unprotected sex? Does it support students' desire to understand and discuss their sexual feelings and to say no to sexual pressure?

Does it encourage family communication and discussion on the issues and validate family and social values?

Does this material provide straightforward, age-appropriate, accurate information to allow young people to protect themselves from sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy?

Does it acknowledge the reality of sex among teens in this country and attempt to deal with the problem in a truthful manner?

Programs based on instilling fear, or that suggest the existence of sexual diseases is "nature making some kind of comment on sexual behavior," are not worthy of our children. Let's be sure that we really take a look at what is being presented and not make decisions based on slick marketing presentations.

Even if we should find the perfect course of study on this subject, parents cannot expect any school program to be completely responsible for their children's education in this field. Our children are greatly influenced by parental behavior and involvement in their lives, and we must realize the responsibility we bear. ANN G. RICHARDSON ROANOKE

by CNB