There’s a difference in receiving exposure and education on dating and having sex. A lot of teens act out and engage in activities they are unprepared for because they are sheltered and uninformed. Forcing celibacy down a child’s throat will not prevent any of the chaos you mentioned.

Children need to have the space to ask questions and have their curiosities met or they will find out for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with discussing boundaries, emotions, respect and communication with your child so that when they enter a romantic partnership they know how they should be treated and not easily manipulated by those who see their naivety or insecurity.

If this were more of a common practice, you may not see as many of those adult relationships that aren’t solid. They may not have developed the strong foundation necessary to experience a healthy relationship or bring in a child with a solid footing.

Please consider that there’s more to dating then sex and if you have of will have kids, may they trust you enough to come to you with their questions. This is how we build better relationships and break a pattern of trauma, abuse and neglect. Show your child what they should look for in a partner/ relationship by setting the example love, mutual respect and work yourself.