The Talking about Touching
program takes young boys and girls, together in the classroom,
through abuse scenarios using explicit sexual language,
including the words: Vagina, Vulva, Breasts, Penis and Buttocks.
Parents may not want their young children (1st, 2nd and 3rd
grade) to be exposed to this type of language as well as story
illustrations related to genitalia and other body parts.
Permission to
reprint the (1st - 3rd grade) examples has been denied by the
publisher, subject to restrictive conditions and stipulations.
Parents are strongly advised to contact the Catholic Education
Center (651) 291-4500 and view the actual program themselves.
The
Center for Adolescent and Family Spirituality at Father
Flanagan's Girls and Boys Town reviewed the Talking About
Touching program and had a number of serious criticisms:
"There are
numerous child psychologists who know well the developmental
stages of children and are appalled at this lack of recognition
of the importance of the latency period in a young child's
life."
"To impose
Talking About Touching
on children in our schools, whether private or public, without
prior permission of parents is a violation of the rights of
parents."
"The children are
being subjected to an experiment favored by the Committee for
Children which has, as its agenda, to change the way American
children are raised by their parents regarding sexuality."
"Children should
not have to be the primary guardians of their own safety. This
is the role of parents, caretakers and involved communities. To
infuse children with the level of caution and reluctance to
trust, or to teach them to gain power over others by false ly
accusing, is to start them on a life of suspicion, fear, anger
and in many cases, of failed relationships." |
