Sex not just in the city

Are people becoming bolder because rules are being rewritten without consequences?

COMMENT

by Ann Martinez

It used to be that morally objectionable behavior such as sexual violence and underage sex was associated mostly with cities and city folk.

Things were believed to be different outside of the city. Families were stronger. Parents were not constantly rushing around like their urban counterparts. They spent quality time with their children. People were more traditional and more conservative in their ways. Religious education was emphasized and strong values were instilled. The common good was a driving force and so people looked out for one another and were not afraid to step up and call someone out when a line was crossed.

But does this idyllic view still hold? With the recent surge in news reports of underage sex-related incidents in rural or non-urban areas, one could not be faulted in thinking otherwise:

• Bahau & Kuantan: Two fifteen-year-olds recently delivered healthy babies
• Tenom: Two fourteen-year-old students were caught having sex in a school toilet
• Ketereh: A fourteen and a fifteen-year-old girl were ‘raped’ by 38 men aged between 14 and 40 last year when they spent the night in an empty hut.
• Tanjung Minyak: Two brothers aged 7 and 10 forced a Standard 1 girl to perform oral sex after watching online porn
• Jasin: A fifteen-year-old girl was allegedly involved in immoral activities with eight male classmates.

People everywhere it seems, are disregarding societal norms with respect to sex and creating their own rules.

We may be tempted to blame these ills on the information age and the easy access to not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly. While that can’t be ruled out completely, we also don’t have to look too far to see that everywhere around us and especially in politics, rules are being rewritten with few or no negative consequences for those who are rewriting them.

Maybe just maybe, people are bolder these days simply because they don’t see any huge negative consequences, just a slap on the wrist if anything at all.

Maybe also, those who would normally have stepped up and drawn attention to the “wrongs” they see are now holding back. They too have observed rules being rewritten and fear being victimized.

Maybe everyone is just confused. Maybe no one knows what the rules are anymore. Some may even wonder if there are rules in the first place.

Sound far-fetched? Not really. Decay tends to spread if left untreated.

Ann Martinez is an FMT columnist