A prominent national newspaper commentator was jeered by a BBC audience last week when he warned that more sex education caused more STIs and underage pregnancies.
Peter Hitchens said the problem of sexualisation arose when Britain ditched its Christian heritage and became a post-Lady- Chatterley society where sex was “like tennis” – something people simply did for pleasure.
He was responding to a question about a report published last week raising concerns about the sexualisation of children.
Innocence
Mr Hitchens later defended his remarks on his blog, maintaining that society was largely sexually restrained until the 1960s when an active and persuasive minority wanted it to change.
He wrote: “It is perfectly reasonable to suggest (my main point) that the sexualisation of children is a consequence of that. It is undeniable that sexually charged and explicit material pours out of the radio, the TV and the Internet.”
Mr Hitchens added: “As for sex education, much of it is aimed at overcoming the inhibitions of pupils about what many of them reasonably regard as private or embarrassing matters (the use of joke words for body parts in class, etc). It is perfectly reasonable to describe this as taking away the innocence of those exposed to it.
Prime Minister
“As I have said before, if any adult apart from a teacher said these things and illustrated these acts in front of our children, mobs of News of the World readers would be breaking their windows and demanding they be sent to jail forever. As it is, they’re paid to do it by the taxpayer.”
Last week a long-awaited report on child sexualisation was welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron.
The Letting Children be Children report, which followed a six-month review of child sexualisation and commercialisation, called for parents to be supported as they attempt to combat child sexualisation.
Family-friendly
The report recommended setting up a single website where parents can go to complain about any programme, advert or product.
The Prime Minister described the report as a “giant step forward for protecting childhood and making Britain more family-friendly”.