Written by Ciara Teggart    Saturday, 21 November 2009 13:50   
Sex and the schoolyard
Comment

Ciara Teggart takes a close look at 'shag bands'

Who would have thought that plastic wristbands could cause such controversy around playgrounds in the UK? Yet, these multi-coloured 'shag bands' are becoming another worrying insight into the world that pre-teens inhabit.

The seemingly innocent bands get the name 'shag band' from the corresponding acts, one for each band colour which vary in explicitness.  If a yellow band is snapped, this demands a hug, however if a red band is snapped the underage owner must perform a lap dance and and if a black band is snapped this, in theory, will lead to sex itself. Children who in many cases, have yet to receive sex education at home or in school are being bombarded by terms that are both appalling and worryingly indicative of a youth culture stormed by peer pressure and a provocative media.

In response, many schools are banning the offending items. But in reality how shocking can these bands be when pre-teens are continually encouraged to assume roles above their age range? In Sweden, there are a growing number of girls aged between eleven and thirteen attending a week-long camp called “Girl and the City”. Any innovation clearly drawn from the hit television series Sex and the City is already a worrying concept but when the activities include shopping, going to spas and even colour analysis it's hard to remember the days of Barbie dolls and Lego.

In 2007, 8196 girls under sixteen became pregnant in Britain giving us the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe. Only in February of this year did the world gasp at the image of the thirteen year-old Alfie Patten holding a new-born baby girl. Although he was later found not to be the father, the question still has to be asked: why was a young boy engaging in sexual acts at all?

The media surely plays a part in the acceptance of adult behaviour being adopted by under-sixteens. At the Teen Choice Awards 2009 we saw Miley Cyrus cavorting round what looked like a stripper’s pole in micro-shorts and leather boots then the next day we saw pre-schoolers carrying a school bag emblazoned with the image of her alter ego Hannah Montana. Children aspire to be her and this image can then transfer to them as being acceptable.

However, we all remember that in Kiss Chase, once the girl had been caught, it did not (in most cases) lead to the boy being kissed. Shag bands parallel this idea and we cannot underestimate a child’s intelligence by determining that all children will do as a certain playground craze tells them to do. What is important to remember is that such playground crazes are not a new introduction, sadly it is true that society will continue to project sexual images on us and kids will react to this.   

 

Comments
Add New
Write comment
Name:
Email:
 
Title:
Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

Related news items:
Newer news items:
Older news items:
 
Author of this article: Ciara Teggart