PETALING JAYA: Teenage boys will be taught that having sex with an underage girl is a crime in a newly developed sexual and reproductive health programme designed for boys.
They will also learn about puberty and their bodies as well as about consent, said Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh (pic).
“We need to equip boys with the right knowledge. We need to teach boys how to respect girls and women.
“We need to teach them about the law. So many young boys don't know about statutory rape. Children as young as 12 are having sex.
“They think if their girlfriend says it’s okay, then it’s okay.
“They don't know that it's against the law and they are not aware of the consequences, ” she said after delivering a speech at the first National Symposium on Fathering organised by non-government organisation Better Dads Malaysia.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health for Boys syllabus was developed by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) and was recently launched and carried out in a few communities and boarding schools.
Among the chapters in the syllabus are Adolescent Growth Development and Health, the 3Rs – Respect, Relationships and Responsibility, Laws and Regulations, Drugs and Substance Abuse, Risky Social Behaviours, Risky Sexual Behaviour, Technology and Sexual Reproductive Health, and Preventing Teenage Pregnancy.
The syllabus is targeted at boys aged 16 to 24.
“Parents can no longer be in denial, that children don’t need to know about all this, ” Yeoh said, adding that she has urged other MPs to work with LPPKN to share this in their communities.
Yeoh said that the education programme will soon be available online to reach more boys.
“People need tools to work with. The gap that exists now is that parents expect teachers to teach children about this, and teachers expect parents to do the job.
“We also face manpower limitations and putting this online will enable us to reach more young boys, ” she said.
Yeoh added that her ministry hopes to work with the Education Ministry to introduce the programme in schools nationwide.
“We are still at the initial stage but we hope that we can reach as many young boys as possible, ” she said. - Star
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