While the majority of teenagers know to respect the “body boundaries” of others, it is worrisome that one out of five would have sex when there is mutual consent, according to a recent survey by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), which has urged teenagers to avoid having sex in their youth.
The survey into the behavior of youngsters aged 12 to 18 showed 93 percent agreed that “body boundaries” are important and there should not be inappropriate body contact even with one’s girlfriend or boyfriend.
The nationwide survey, released on Thursday, also found that one in five respondents think “as long as there is mutual consent, or when invited, having sex is allowed.”
Meanwhile, 40 percent of the respondents said they were unaware that having sex with people under the age of 14 could result in criminal prosecution, while sex with those aged between 14 and 16 could result in lawsuits.
TFCF deputy executive director Ho Su-chun (何素春) said the results were worrying.
“Apparently, a lot of teenagers are unaware that they could face sexual assault charges if they had sex with people under 16 even when both have consented to having sex,” she added. “Teen pregnancy is also a serious social problem.”
To solve such issues, Ho said, the “correct concepts about sex” should be taught.
“We urge the public to pay more attention to issues related to teenage relationships,” she said. “We should start from establishing correct concepts about sex, teach our children to stop others from violating their bodies, learn to respect those whom they love and not to violate their bodies, so that there wouldn’t be regrettable consequences.”
The group also released a list of “three don’ts” for teenagers, including: “don’t have sex, don’t browse porn Web sites and don’t violate other people’s bodies even with one’s girlfriend or boyfriend.”
Josephine Ho (何春蕤), head of National Central University’s Center for the Study of Sexualities, disagreed with the TFCF and accused the group of promoting the idea of “repression under the disguise of protection.”
“A high percentage of students knowing about respecting others’ ‘body boundaries’ and the fact that a high percentage of students have sex in their teenage years is not contradictory,” she said. “If they know how to respect other people’s ‘body boundaries,’ why can’t they have sex when there’s mutual consent?”
She said it is natural for those attracted to one another to have sexual desires, but that the ideas promoted by the TFCF seek to extinguish those through repression and guilt.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
RSS