Unfortunately, suicide has become the last fatal choice for far too many of them. This year marks the 40 th anniversary of the desegregation effort in Central High School in Arkansas and the beginning of the civil rights movement. The message about racial prejudice seems to have gotten through to most of these teens. But this does not mean that kids are ignoring sex. In fact, many teens engage in sex even before they are able to drive a car.
Honest communication is a powerful tool.
They frequently have risky sex without fear of the consequences. In spite of all of the recent debates about kids using the Internet for the wrong reasons, today's high achieving teens offer some encouraging news to all of the cyber nay-sayers. Access to the Internet is also becoming a vital part of today's schools, offering teens an opportunity to explore the information super-highway. Despite years of public service ads, parents and community leaders are still off the mark. Parents need to know that their words and actions can serve as a shield for their teenagers.