| Talking With Kids About Tough Issues is a
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| | conjunction with the campaign, most
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| new joint initiative by the Kaiser Family
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| | parents of 8- to 12-year-olds say
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| Foundation, Children Now, and The
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| | families today do not talk enough about
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| Advertising Council, to encourage and
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| | such important topics as: relationships
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| help parents of young children start
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| | and becoming sexually active (77%),
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| talking early about life's tough issues,
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| | violence (75%), AIDS (68%), and alcohol
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| including sex, AIDS, violence, and
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| | and drugs (67%). When conversations do
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| alcohol and drug abuse. The campaign
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| | take place, 56 percent also say parents
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| encourages parents to impart their own
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| | generally wait too long to begin talking
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| values and, most importantly, to create
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| | with their children about issues like
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| an atmosphere of open communication with
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| | these.
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| their children on any issue. The effort
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| | The findings from a companion survey of
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| centers around a national public service
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| | children also suggests that parents may
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| campaign featuring print, television, and
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| | want to seek out opportunities to open
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| radio advertisements developed by J.
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| | the dialogue on tough issues. When asked
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| Walter Thompson New York, which
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| | about specific topics, majorities of 10-
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| volunteered its services, and local
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| | to 12-year-old children of the parents
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| partnerships with Boys and Girls Clubs
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| | surveyed said they wanted to know more
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| across the nation, the campaign's
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| | about a variety of issues:
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| principal community co-sponsors. A
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| | Being safe from violence (80%)
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| booklet, community forums, and other
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| | Protection against AIDS (73%)
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| tools are being made available through
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| | Avoiding potentially violent situations
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| the campaign to help parents. A
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| | (71%)
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| distinguished honorary committee, chaired
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| | Sexually transmitted diseases (66%)
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| by Linda Ellerbee, creator and host of
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| | Dealing with peer pressure to have sex
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| Nickelodeon's Nick News, and including
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| | (58%)
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| entertainer Rosie O'Donnell, Dr. Alvin
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| | Knowing when they're ready to have a
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| Poussaint of the Harvard Medical School,
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| | sexual relationship (54%)
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| Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers, and others,
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| | While alcohol and drugs (94%) and
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| has given their support to the effort,
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| | violence (84%) are topics most parents of
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| which is also endorsed by such
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| | 8- to 12-year-olds say have come up in
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| organizations as the National PTA, the
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| | conversations with their children, fewer
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| American Academy of Pediatrics, and the
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| | say they have talked about AIDS (69%) or
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| National Council of La Raza.
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| | the basics of reproduction, the "birds
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| The Campaign
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| | and the bees" (62%). When it comes to
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| The first public service messages, which
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| | such key issues as handling pressure to
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| are currently being distributed
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| | have sex, becoming sexually active, and
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| nationwide, focus on peer pressure to
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| | preventing pregnancy, most parents of 8-
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| become sexually active and children's
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| | to 12-year-olds say they have not yet had
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| fears about AIDS. One of the ads takes
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| | these conversations with their children.
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| the unique perspective of a young boy
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| | By the time their child is a teenager,
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| struggling to deal with pressures to
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| | only 31 percent of parents will have
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| become sexually active and questioning
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| | talked about peer pressure to have sex,
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| "is that what girls are for?" Another
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| | 30 percent about how to prevent an
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| shows a young child confused and worried
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| | unwanted pregnancy, and 23 percent about
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| about "whether all her friends will catch
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| | when they might be ready to have a sexual
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| AIDS and die." All of the ads encourage
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| | relationship.
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| parents to talk with their children and
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| | The survey also indicates that an
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| to call the campaign's toll-free number
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| | opportunity exists for parents to have a
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| to get a free booklet to help them.
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| | more significant impact on their
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| Talking With Kids About Tough Issues, a
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| | children's lives if conversations about
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| guide for parents, is available free of
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| | difficult subjects start earlier. Most
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| charge by calling 1-800-CHILD-44.
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| | 10- to 12-year-olds (54%) say their
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| "Sweeping tough issues under the rug will
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| | parents are an important resource for
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| not prepare children for today's world.
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| | "other kids their age" on issues like
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| Parents do not need to be told they are
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| | sex, AIDS, violence, and drugs and
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| failing yet again, but they do need the
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| | alcohol. Teens, however, are less likely
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| type of encouragement and help this
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| | to name parents (40% of 13- to
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| campaign offers," said Drew E. Altman,
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| | 15-year-olds), and more likely to name
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| Ph.D., President, Kaiser Family
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| | friends as a common resource for other
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| Foundation. Lynne S. Dumas, a social
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| | kids their age about topics like these
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| researcher and author of parenting books,
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| | (60% of 13- to 15-year-olds as compared
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| wrote the 60-page booklet, which was
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| | to 36% of 10- to 12-year-olds).
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| specifically developed for this campaign
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| | Both children and teens say many youth
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| to help parents talk about tough issues
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| | today find out about issues like sex,
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| with their children. The booklet provides
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| | AIDS, violence, and drugs and alcohol
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| general tips about how to initiate
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| | from the entertainment media --
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| difficult conversations with children as
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| | television, movies, and music (57% of 10-
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| well as age-appropriate guidelines for
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| | to 12-year olds and 61% of 13- to
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| bringing up specific topics and suggested
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| | 15-year-olds say kids their age get "a
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| responses to direct questions about such
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| | lot" of information from these sources).
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| issues as sex, AIDS, violence, and drug
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| | Another helpful booklet, entitled
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| and alcohol abuse.
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| | Television As A Tool, is also available
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| Ten Tips for Parents from Talking With
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| | through this campaign. It focuses on
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| Kids About Tough Issues
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| | opportunities presented by television and
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| Start Early
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| | other media to complement parent and
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| Initiate Conversations with Your Child
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| | children's conversations about tough
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| ... Even About Sex and Sexuality!
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| | issues.
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| Create An Open Environment
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| | More Findings from the Surveys:
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| Communicate Your Own Values
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| | Many children surveyed say they would
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| Listen to Your Child
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| | talk with their parent if they had a
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| Always Be Honest
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| | question about some tough issues, like
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| Be Patient
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| | the basic facts about sex (90%), how to
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| Use Television as a Tool
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| | prevent pregnancy (90%), and becoming
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| Talk About it Again. And, Again
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| | sexually active (84%).
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| Twenty Boys and Girls Clubs across the
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| | But, close to half -- 48 percent -- of
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| nation will help carry the campaign
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| | 10- to 12-year-olds agree they at least
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| messages to local communities and extend
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| | sometimes "try to avoid talking about
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| the reach and scope of the campaign
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| | these subjects with their parents" and 52
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| through a variety of activities,
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| | percent agree they at least sometimes
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| including holding town halls and parent
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| | "feel uncomfortable when a parent brings
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| clinics, and encouraging local newspapers
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| | up one of these subjects."
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| and television and radio stations to
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| | Most parents of 8- to 12-year-olds who
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| support the effort.
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| | have talked about sexual subjects with
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| "The real hope of this initiative lies
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| | their children say they did so only in
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| with our community partners, the Boys and
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| | response to something their child said or
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| Girls Clubs across the nation who will
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| | did: 62 percent who had discussed the
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| work most closely with parents, children,
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| | "birds and bees," 56 percent who had
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| and the larger community to stimulate
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| | discussed preventing pregnancy, and 54
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| better and more frequent discussions on
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| | percent who had discussed becoming
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| these tough issues," said Lois Salisbury,
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| | sexually active.
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| President, Children Now.
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| | Almost half of parents surveyed (48%) say
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| The Survey of Parents and Children
| |
| | they have been caught off guard by
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| According to a new survey conducted in
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| | something their child asked about sex.
|
