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"The Morality of Sex," 1913
Moral preparation
for this period:
(1) the schools;
The girl is in no way prepared
intelligently to face the moral dangers
which arise in adolescence by the
instruction given in the public school.
There are a few exceptions to the
baldness of this statement, as in the case of children who have been
influenced by an exceptional teacher. Yet even those who cite
exception admit that the school must be radically changed before it will
be able to exert real moral influence. Its equipment and instruction
must be strengthened at many points. Among next steps to be taken
are the installation of decent toilets; the supervision of basements;
more home and school visitors with nurse’s training, to give their time
to developing a basis of understanding between parent and child; a
very much higher grade of teacher; a sound experimental approach to
the problem of instruction in matters of sex; the development of a
corps of special leaders to take charge of such instruction in the
grammar schools; a regular course of studies planned about natural
history, hygiene, physiology, science, and home-making; and the
multiplication of carefully supervised but democratically organized
group activities outside of school hours among boys and girls.
It is the universal sentiment of
(2) the church;
the contributors to this study that
comparatively few girls come under
adequate and forceful religious leadership. The Catholic religious
organizations make an attempt at sex instruction, although such
teaching is in general far from wisely given. Occasionally a leader
arises from among the members of a teaching order, or even among
the laity, who is wonderfully influential; but these stand out as
exceptions. Even more, the sects of Protestantism, considering their
resources, have failed to affect girls as they should. Of late years the
Jewish religious authorities have become much concerned about
moral declension among their young people and are striving to develop
more effective forms of moral influence. It is undoubtedly true that the
relative decay of religion is in itself one very serious cause of moral
breakdown; and there is immediate and pressing need of more vital
religious teaching on these fundamental questions of character.
(3) the settlement; Settlements, too, have been
lacking in the degree of attention
given to specific ethical teaching. This
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