Summary
Parents often wonder how to be more involved in the development of their teenagers. In the “Online Snooping Case Study,” one strategy that I would use to help the parents effectively communicate with their children about sex and sexuality is giving advice. For instance, I would advise them to be honest since openness and honesty are necessary to gain Juliet’s trust (Santa Maria et al., 2017). The second strategy I would use is providing support. Currently, Helen might be worried that she is a bad parent. I would inform her that although she needed to find better ways to communicate with Juliet, she should not punish herself for snooping because it is a normal impulse.
There are several issues that are important to address in this case study. The first issue to address pertains to communication between Juliet and her parents. It is necessary to restore trust between them to avoid such occurrences in the future. The second issue is whether Juliet and Scott are practicing safe sex (Santa Maria et al., 2017). Teenagers should be advised to protect themselves and each other to avoid unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
Evaluating a Service Plan
When evaluating the service plan created by one of her case workers, Morgan should first examine if the plan meets Rocky’s needs. Since Rocky has Down syndrome, he is likely to need a special plan that recognizes this fact. Second, the plan should be considerate of Rocky’s age. A service plan should be tailored to a person’s characteristics. Therefore, Morgan should ensure that the prepared service plan is customized to Rocky, the service user.
I would change certain aspects of the service plan to improve it for the user. First, I would recommend a support group for Rocky. Adults with Down syndrome are an overlooked section of the population since many people associate Down syndrome with children. A support group would help him navigate living with Down syndrome as an adult. Second, I would modify the plan to give the user more autonomy. Ultimately, the purpose of a service plan is to help a person improve their lives and independently achieve their goals.
Dating, Sex, and Romance: Adolescence and Digital Media
The website Love is Respect (https://www.loveisrespect.org) provides advice to teenagers about love, sexuality, and relationships. It gives guidance on a range of specific issues spanning these topics. For instance, there are articles on creating healthy boundaries, texting respectfully in relationships, and meeting new people online. The internet has become an important tool in teen dating in the current world (Brown et al., 2009). Therefore, it is useful that a teenager can access articles on the Love is Respect website if they have questions about dating. Adolescent who is unable to speak about these issues with their parents or peers can seek advice online.
A teen would not have any trouble interpreting information from Love is Respect. Since most of the information is about love and respect, an adolescent would interpret that love should be accompanied by respect. This is sound advice that all teenagers should be given when they start dating. Teenagers are impressionable people who might unwittingly enter into unhealthy relationships. For instance, teenage girls can conflate disrespect with love because they are taught from an early age that boys are “mean” to the girls they love. Information from such a website would help them unlearn such misguided beliefs about love and relationships.
I view the site as having a positive impact on the sexual developmental process of a teen. This process involves biological, sociocultural, and psychological changes, which can be overwhelming to a teen. The website contains information about the sociocultural aspect of sexual development. For instance, a queer teenager may get information on the site about how to approach their parents about their sexuality. The site also has information pertaining to dating in different cultural contexts, such as the deaf, LGBQ, immigrant, Native American, and disabled communities. Such categories recognize that dating differs according to sociocultural factors.
In addition to the sociocultural part of sexual development, the website could also have a positive impact on a teen with regard to psychological processes. The site improves a teen’s outlook on respectful dating, healthy relationships, and personal safety. For example, the website repeatedly emphasizes the importance of safety in relationships. In the article “iPhone Tips to Help Teens Stay Safe,” Shipwash (n.d.) gives advice to teens on how to leverage technology for their safety. Such advice could positively impact the sexual development process of a teen because they will understand how to look for warning signs of danger and how to protect themselves. Within the dating world, safety is of utmost importance, and teenagers should learn how to protect themselves from an early age. Consequently, this helps in shaping their views of adult sexuality and romantic relationships.
I found the website beneficial for teenagers in many ways. First, the articles are short, clear, and easy to understand. Second, the site has advice about diverse topics, including love, dating, safety, and relationships. Third, the site is inclusive to all communities, such as the disabled, immigrants, and other communities that are often overlooked by many relationship websites. Fourth, the advice is written by older, experienced adults who often have meaningful insights to give to the younger generation. However, one thing I could change is that the website does not have adequate information on sex. Teenagers are usually curious about sex, and it would be helpful to include more information on this topic. Nonetheless, Love is Respect is generally a useful sex education site for teenagers.
References
Brown, J. D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, sexuality, sexting and sexed. The Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16.
Love is Respect. (n.d). Web.
Santa Maria, D., Guilamo-Ramos, V., Jemmott, L. S., Derouin, A., & Villarruel, A. (2017). Nurses on the front lines: Improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health across health care settings. The American Journal of Nursing, 117(1), 42. Web.
Shipwash, C. (n.d.). iPhone tips to help teens stay safe. Love is Respect. Web.