A high school awareness course that teaches young people about the value and importance of taking responsibility for their children.
In my policy about maternal/fetal healthcare rights and abortion, I mentioned this idea:
- Require high schools to offer an awareness class regarding: abortion; adoption; fetal & child development; resources/options available to low-income families; parenting skills & perspectives; primary attachment theory; physical/psychological risks/experiences of pregnancy & abortion; causes/examples/harms of: toxic stress, absent fatherhood, all forms of abuse, coercion & exploitation; biological sex differences between men & women; perspectives/experiences/parenting strategies of parents/children involving various learning & developmental disabilities.
If there was more awareness about the above things, young people would be less willing to pursue risky sexual behaviors, would be more likely to limit their partners, treat the other with respect and would also feel more confident to be parents when that time comes. A lot of people are scared of babies and are given the impression that it’s the hardest job in the world (it’s not). Or they want to counter-parent and not respect the baby’s routine. Understanding the harms of irresponsibility, as well as the benefits of taking responsibility, would go really far to helping to ensure that children have quality relationships with both of their BIOLOGICAL parents.
I mention this idea in my maternal/fetal healthcare rights/abortion-related proposal here: Establish a right to maternal & fetal healthcare & stabilize the abortion issue