However, educating our young ones about sex and relationships is so important, and this is a message that has been highlighted today by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
Revealing that over 30,000 young people contacted Childline last year for help with sexual queries, the ISPCC today said that kids as young as 10 are feeling pressured into having sex.
The alarming revelation was made by ISPCC Chief Executive Grainia Long, who said that a 10-year-old girl contacted the service, saying that she felt under pressure to give into her boyfriend’s requests for sex.
“In this instance the child was really embarrassed and upset,” Ms Long told Sean O’Rourke on his RTÉ One show this morning.
Admitting that the ISPCC has seen a growing trend of young children talking about and engaging in sexual activity, Ms Long said that peer pressure is “a serious issue” right now for young people.
“This young girl told us her friends said she should do it because she didn’t want to lose him. Four years ago, it would have been a 14-year-old asking us about this. Now, we’ve 10-, 11-, 12-year-olds asking these questions,” she added.
Revealing that sexting and exchanging sexual content via technology has become a major trend and worry, Ms Long said that parents need to be aware of their responsibilities when it comes to talking to their kids and monitoring their activity.
