Church Should Change Attitude Towards Youngsters

According to a new booklet from the Diocese of Worcester, the Church of England needs to change its attitude towards young people and sex.

Written by Canon Jane Fraser, a social worker who previously worked with Brook Advisory Centres for 30 years, the booklet says the Church needs to start providing a solution to the issue of teenage pregnancy rather than being to blame.

Mrs Fraser said although there has been a governmental teenage pregnancy strategy since 1999, there had been no significant policy initiative from the major faiths.

She said although many youth workers in the church and voluntary sectors were aware of the need to work more closely with young people on sexual health, they felt ill-equipped and were often worried about the possibility of a negative reaction from their sponsoring body.

In addition, she said churches should be investing in training for those working with young people, helping parents talk to their own children about the issues, and reaching out to young people in the context of their own views and experiences.

Mrs Fraser said: "Rather than instantly condemning young people, churches need to listen to young people and involve ourselves in meaningful dialogue with them. The abstinence only' message has been proven not to work and may even make a young person more vulnerable if not combined with information about sexual health services."She said attitudes of young people to sexual health matters had changed significantly in the last generation, and only 14 per cent of adolescents now saw pre-marital sex as wrong, rising to only five per cent among Christian young people."

She added: "The Church must respond to this, for example by focusing on fostering commitment and encouraging the development of young people's skills in negotiating relationships."

The 'Just So' booklet is being distributed to all clergy to encourage them to discuss the subject with their congregations.