Recommendations for web sites and blogs
This is the second in a series of recommendations on some abstinence education web sites/blogs that would be a great resource for abstinence educators (BEST) and those that are not so great for one reason or another (WORST).
BEST: The National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) is a fairly new player in the field of abstinence education, but in 2006, the group jumped in with both feet on the federal level to help preserve Title V funding. Title V is a federal mandate that distributes money to states to assist them in teaching abstinence education. NAEA, as a 501(c)(6) organization, can participate in vigorous and unlimited lobbying on the state and federal levels. The NAEA web site keeps getting better and better although it still lacks some depth—a symptom of their fledgling status. I especially appreciate the Advocacy page which provides practical links and background on the issues that are most pressing on the federal level.
WORST: I used the term “worst” with regret here because this next web site has an ideology that I support, but the manner of presentation is such that the message is muddied. It seems to be a beneficial exercise to critique it. First, this web site, Blount Nurses for Health Education out of Maryville, Tennessee, appears to be focusing on educating teens, but the aesthetics do not reflect this. The site consists only of a list of topics and stories on one page. This makes it difficult to read and the page comes across as dry and academic. Even the URL is bland (http://64.177.211.175). Second, the language is a bit too inflammatory. Two examples are: “Don’t be tricked! You are being outnumbered by young men, many of whom want you for sex, rather than because of who you are as a person,” and “We have witnessed hundreds of young people’s lives permanently ruined because of poor decisions in their teen years for a few minutes of sex.” These statements could be construed as the marketing of fear and not necessarily the most effective way to communicate to young people today. And third, the web site is surprisingly lacking in scholarship. There are very few citations or references included. For example, in regards to condoms, the site states: “Moderately effective. Frequent failures.” I would have expected more accurate and precise language from an organization of nurses. In closing, if abstinence educators are going to be a force for change in public and private debate, we must heighten the level of research and discourse in every venue. There are several national organizations that serve as resources and models for this (see side bar Check out these sites). Let’s take advantage of them.
