- •Предисловие
- •Unit 1. Types of Family in Modern Society
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •The British Family
- •The American Family
- •The Future of the Family
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •Британская семья
- •The Family
- •The Problem of (Cohabit)
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •III. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •2. Class Activities
- •IV. Dialogue Discourse Modelling
- •2. Class Activities
- •Unit 2. What Makes a Good Parent? Family Discipline and Changes in Parental Authority
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •Permissiveness: “a Beautiful Idea” that Didn’t Work?
- •Comprehension Check
- •Article Rendering: Basic Structure Build-Up
- •Parents Are Too Permissive with Their Children Nowadays
- •1. Fill in the columns in the chart with the corresponding adjectives and phrases from the list below. Some descriptions may fit into both columns.
- •2. When you have completed the chart, pick out all the (1) synonyms and (2) antonyms to the following characteristics.
- •1. Synonyms 2. Antonyms
- •3. Make use of the completed chart to give a brief sketch of each child/parent type. Use the following questions as a guide.
- •Difficult Children
- •The Monster Children
- •Life Styles: “What Makes a Good Parent”?
- •Ivan sokolov
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •The Power of No
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Agree or disagree with the quotations below. Be sure to provide solid arguments.
- •II. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •III. Polylogue Discourse Modelling
- •1. Out-of-class Projecting
- •Debate Techniques
- •Introduction
- •Arguments and Counter-arguments
- •Questions
- •2. Class Activities
- •IV. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •Individual Argumentative Techniques
- •Project on a Problem Situation
- •Introduction
- •2. Class Activities
- •V. Written Discourse Skills Development
- •Unit 3. Problems of a Young Family
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •Additional Vocabulary List
- •The Child Care Dilemma
- •Comprehension and Discussion Guide
- •It’s 10:00 a.M.: Do You Know What Your Sitter’s Doing?
- •Smart ways to check on your sitter
- •It’s 4:00 p.M.: Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •Back to Day Care
- •Что творят с детьми няни (…или Как проследить за процессом воспитания)
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Written Discourse Modelling
- •2. Class Activities:
- •II. Polylogue Discourse Modelling
- •III. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •Unit 4. Hazards of Teenage Sex
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •Teenage Sex: Just Say “Wait”
- •Lower the Age of Consent
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •Дочки-матери
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Polylogue Discourse Modelling
- •III. Dialogue Discourse Modelling
- •2. Class Activities
- •Unit 5. Problems of a Young Family Young Adults: Living in Parental Homes or Living Away?
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •Show Me the Way to Go Home
- •Comprehension and Discussion Guide
- •Back to Mum After All This Time
- •Could You Throw Out Your Child?
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •Is Your Nest Too Full?
- •Bit of a Crowd in the Empty Nest
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Polylogue Discourse Modelling
- •II. Written Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Background Reference Information
- •II. Letter Structure Focus
- •III. Sample Letter Publication Foreword
- •Unit 6. Marriage and Divorce
- •Focus Vocabulary List
- •Vast Majority of Americans Still Believe in the Family
- •Comprehension and Discussion Guide
- •Vocabulary Exercises
- •In Great Britain, an Easier Out
- •Divorce
- •Integrated Discourse Skills Development
- •I. Polylogue Discourse Modelling
- •2. Class Activities
- •II. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •Individual Argumentative Techniques
- •III. Written Discourse Development
- •IV. Monologue Discourse Modelling
- •References
- •Contents
Lower the Age of Consent
Britain’s sex laws are in a muddle. An age of consent of 16 criminalises more than half the teenage population. This isn’t protection; it’s persecution. Even one of the top law lords, Lord Millett, believes the time has come to legislate a lower and more realistic age of consent.
His proposal has prompted protest from child protection agencies. But what about the right of young people under 16 to make their own decision about when they are ready for a sexual relationship? Sixteen is a totally arbitrary age of consent. It originates from 1885, when consent was raised from 13. There is, however, no medical or psychological evidence that 16 is the age of sexual or emotional maturity. The law says that no person under 16 is capable of giving their consent to a sexual act. Two 14-year-olds who have a mutually agreed relationship risk maximum penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. A Home Office report published this week confirms that teenagers involved in a loving relationship, where one or both partners are below the age of 16, are being placed on the sex offenders register alongside predatory paedophiles. If a 13-year-old Romeo and 13-year-old Juliet were living in Britain today, they would be branded criminals. Their feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets, would not have to worry. They could get rid of Romeo by reporting him to the police and having him jailed.
Although the number of young people under or just over 16 arrested for consenting sex is small, that’s no consolation to those who are arrested. Moreover, the current consent law sends out a highly alarming message: that people under 16 have no sexual rights. This is exactly what child abusers believe. It plays into their hands.
Whether we like it or not, 14 is now the average age of first sexual experience (not necessarily intercourse), according to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles 1994. Any sexual act involving a person under 16 is a crime, even caressing and fondling by partners of similar ages. An age of consent of 16 therefore criminalises more than half the teenage population. This is an odd way of protecting them.
Consent at 14, for both gay and straight relationships, would be fairer and more realistic. It might also be sensible to introduce a policy of not prosecuting sex involving youngsters under 14, providing they both consent and there is no more than three years difference in their ages.
A similar policy already exists in Germany, Israel and Switzerland. This sliding-scale approach to the age of consent would take into account the reality that lots of young kids occasionally engage in innocent sexual experimentation with each other.
Critics say that 14-year-olds are not mature enough to have a sexual relationship. Some are; others are not. Many are having sex anyway. Maturity is most likely to be ensured by improved sex education. Most young people back a reduction in the consent law.
Last November, a poll of 42,000 girls aged 12 to 16 found that 87 per cent think the age of consent of 16 is too high. Four out of five teenagers responding to a similar survey by the British Youth Council a few years ago favoured a lower legal limit. Many of the sexually active under-16s are sexually illiterate because of inadequate sex education. Few receive detailed safer sex advice, and most have no ready access to condoms. The age of consent is often used as a justification for denying them this information and protection.
Critics also say an age of consent of 16 is necessary to safeguard the vulnerable. The consent laws are, however, a wholly inadequate protection. But abusers ignore the law. Even if consent were raised to 25 it would not stamp out abuse. The key to protecting teenagers is education and empowerment. A reduction in the age of consent to 14 must go in tandem with extending sex education to tackle abuse issues. Schools should be required to teach pupils how to deal with sex pests, and to offer sexual assertiveness training so they feel confident to say “no” to people who try to pressure them into having sex.
Canada, Germany, Italy and eight other European countries already have an equal age of consent of 14, which applies either in all or some circumstances. Compared to Britain, most of these countries have fewer teenage pregnancies, abortions and HIV infections. They also have a higher average age of first sexual intercourse. In Britain, even the former Bishop of Glasgow, Derek Rawcliffe has backed 14. Although I rarely agree with Anglican bishops, in this case he is right: we do not protect young people by threatening them with arrest and imprisonment.