We’d an interesting discussion on the show today about parental control and teenage sex. Listen back to the full discussion here. Rebecca contacted us with this rather disturbing account of what’s happening in her home:
Hey im wondering could you post this comment on your page please but keep me anonymous. This is a weird question but i’m interested to know people’s opinions because I seem to snap and I’m wondering am I right or wrong. My baby brother who’s 16 and his girlfriend who’s 18 when they’re up here in the house are having sex and blaa blaa blaa one day they were doing it downstairs and I was snapping because I couldn’t go down and make a cup of tea and I was traumatised as well from hearing my baby brother at it. No one wants to hear that sh*t like, yock! So when I eventually got down to make a cup of tea I asked them next time they’re doing it can they keep it down like because it’s creepy and remember there are other people in the house like and they said “ya sorry” and whatever 3 months ago and still to this day they carry on to traumatise me with no respect for anyone in the house. My mom doesn’t seem to have a problem with it she told me to “fu**ing leave them alone” and then we’re fighting over them. Should the girl have more respect in a stranger’s house or is it ok? I can’t tell if i’m right for snapping, or not? I seem to be the worst person on the world. What way would other people react if it was their child or younger sibling?”
We did a text poll on this and 93% of our listeners say they wouldn’t allow this to go on under their roof. Caller Donie disagreed – Donie’s argument is that a boy is bound to be doing this anyway, that it’s good for masculinity for young men to be sexually active anyway, and hang the consequences. Views went from that extreme to Jim, who believes the mother in this case is sentencing her son to eternity in hell. Have a listen to Jim here:
The boy is underage, the girlfriend isn’t… There’s a 24 month age gap required for statutory rape and there is a possibility that gap exists. However, as solicitor Michelle O’Mahony explained to me on this morning’s show, the complainant in such a case must be the underage party, and from what Rebecca’s told us, her brother’s happy out about this state of affairs.
As well as that, what kind of situation is that to put Rebecca in? We’ve all had a housemate whose enthusiasm for nocturnal activity was well known to everyone in the house. But it’s quite a different scenario when a) You chose to live with them b) They’re not a family member and c) They’re over the age of consent.
I’m not a parent, so I don’t know. Is it better to have them under your roof where you know what’s going on? Or do you a favour a stricter approach?
[polldaddy poll=9341283]
