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.