South Korea’s official teaching aid for sex education is under criticism for some of its content, including its definition of dating and a section on date rape.
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| Government’s teaching aid for sex education for teenagers defines dating as “a process for young men and women in a relationship without any commitment for the future.” |
According to powerpoint slides provided by the Education Ministry, which is currently available to the public online, dating is defined as “a process for young men and women in a relationship without a serious commitment for the future.” The teaching aid states that teenage dating “does not lead to marriage.”
The material also encourages teens to wear “appropriate clothes or school uniforms” when dating, ensuring it does not affect their academic obligations, and each person pays for their own expenses on dates.
It also stated “the practice of men paying for date expenses” as a cause for date rape or other forms of sexual abuse by a romantic partner.
“The teaching material’s definition of dating contains the traditional notion that teens should not be sexually active, as it is implying that a serious commitment occurs when there is a sexual intercourse,” said Jeong Hae-sook, a researcher at the Korean Women’s Development Institute.
“The definition is also ageist by specifically stating ‘young people’ as the only people who are entitled to date.”
Lee Hyun-sook, who heads the Korea Youth Sexuality Center in Seoul, said encouraging teenagers to “dress appropriately” is linked to the notion of blaming victims for sexual violence. “We often see the public blaming the victims for ‘wearing a dress that is too short’ or ‘caused the trouble for herself.’ The materials are advising young people to minimize their risk by dressing in a certain way,” she said.
“But what the public needs to learn is that no matter what the victim was wearing or doing at the time of the attack, sexual violence cannot be justified. If a person is not happy with paying all of the expenses on dates, then he or she has the choice of ending the relationship. It does not give them a reason to abuse their partner.”
According to National Assembly data, 57.2 percent of Korean teenagers do not use birth control when they have sex. More than 80 percent of teenagers who fell pregnant underwent an abortion.
By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)
