Different attitudes on youth promiscuity

Different attitudes on youth promiscuity

By Harko Kasran

JAKARTA (JP): Social observers Dr. Sarlito Wirawan and Ninuk
Widiyantoro recommended (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 1) that the
youths be taught to use condoms.

Such a view gives a very liberal and controversial impression
to religious people and those who still cherish good ethics and
morals. It is only because people are not used to reading an
English language newspaper that the opinions of these experts
have not been strongly opposed.

They stressed that it was time to teach youths to use condoms.
This, in my opinion, can bring about a deterioration in our
national sociocultural fiber. Twenty-five years of combating
undesirable adolescent behavior has shown me that not all youths
are happy being pushed around by the will and fantasy of
scientists.

Youths in nearly all the provinces I have visited have been
willing to understand and accept educational information which
pertains to ethical and moral values providing the basis and the
reasons are clear. Scientists should not confuse the public by
imposing their own personal ideas on them.

It has been stated that religious approaches are no longer
sufficient to prevent or solve the problem of sexual activity
among youths. This is too hasty a conclusion considering to what
extent we scientists have supported our religious leaders in
meeting the development and modernization demands of the country.

To suggest a religious approach be abandoned is very
dangerous. Even those who are less devout should be encouraged to
obtain religious guidance. Why should people be encouraged
directly or indirectly not to believe in religion?

Sarlito's statement that "religion is no longer their (youths)
life's guidance" is a very hasty and very dangerous conclusion.
Such an outlook may cause ethnic, religious, racial and
intergroup problems. Our duty as scientists is to encourage faith
and devotion and not the opposite.

"Talking about religion with them is nonsense," is a statement
that is a cause for concern. As scientists we ought to find the
best possible solution, not the opposite. Viewed from a modern
concept, the behavioral attitude of abandoning religion is
clearly inappropriate.

The obstacles we have faced over the last 25 years have
included a lack of funding, facilities and the time and
opportunity given by the system, not religion. Religious people
expect guidance from scientists.

The facts show that religious approaches, which many have
declared inadequate in preventing youths being sexually active,
has not been fully developed.

Sarlito's statement that religious teaching could only be
applied to devout followers only encourages faulty
rationalizations. While a physician for 37 years, I came across
cases which were unsolvable from a rational aspect of medical
science. As a scientist of psychiatry, I strongly feel that not
all undesirable adolescent behavior can be truly solved.

"Now there are many preteens who sleep with middle-aged
men ... But girls who have engaged in premarital sex; we
absolutely cannot approach them through religion." This statement
is as if the conclusion is an absolute truth justifying the
undesirable behavior. Prevention, both primary and secondary, and
therapy and rehabilitation are known to work with youths who
engage in unwanted behavior.

Scientists should not encourage people to give up. They should
find solutions. Islam has syari'ah (law), hakekat (truth),
tharekat (spiritualism) and ma'rifat (knowledge of God). How much
psychiatrists support these religious components is not clear.

I appeal to the community not to be thwarted by views that
make us increasingly confused and desperate. Progress can be made
if our behavioral experts share a common perception when making
suggestions to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) for the
best possible solutions -- much the same as when a united
monetary opinion is given to solve economic problems.

Undesirable adolescent behavior needs to be tackled in a
consistent, continuous, gradual and systematic way. An advisory
team of behavioral and psychiatry experts, religious experts,
laymen and teachers should be created to produce a common concept
to be submitted to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

We must also avoid the perception that only psychologists,
psychiatrists, religious experts, anthropologists and
sociologists can solve the problems of undesirable behavior,
including the problems of sex and AIDS.

Role models and compelling education could influence our
youths' behavior, attitudes and views. The MPR should be urged to
develop such a vehicle to create a good example for our youths,
that is by using both general teachers and religious teachers.

Our country has two million teachers -- a quarter of a million
for elementary schools, while the remainder are equally divided
between junior and senior high schools. It is natural that
teachers are obeyed more readily than parents. They have the
authority to be close to their students. We must cultivate them
to be examples -- to fail to do so would be a mistake. It is to
teachers, among others, that we should give our knowledge of
psychiatry.

Interestingly enough, norms for legal and moral ethical values
for youths, in the form of a written decision, has never been
devised by any agency.

Teachers should understand certain important components in
influencing proper behavior in youths. Conveying the importance
of proper etiquette and standards of physical appearance are as
important as effective and systematic psycho-linguistics.

At present teachers are not fostered and formed into examples.
Even Law No. 2 of 1989 does not clearly indicate teachers as
examples of behavior. There are only speeches asking teachers to
make sacrifices to uphold the noble character of their
profession.

Many parents are not in a position to become proper examples
for their children. Research has shown that 85 percent of parents
are not capable of fostering and supervising their children.
Nearly all leave education and fostering of their children's
behavioral attitude to teachers.

On top of this, 68 percent of parents have indicated no firm
attitude toward undesirable adolescent behavior because they have
no well-defined criteria.

My hope is that teachers can give the right guidance based on
acquired knowledge and not solely on our personal opinion.

The writer is a retired army officer and a doctor specializing
in neurology and psychiatry. He has handled problems of youth
delinquency on a national level for 25 years.