A recent study shows that 1 in 3 teenage girls has been the victim of sexual abuse by their boyfriends. Does this surprise me? Nope. Reading the article seems to indicate that being forced into having a snog by your boyfriend may be counted. What is far more serious is the claim that 1 in 16 girls claim to have been raped and 1 in 5 had suffered physical violence.
What the article doesn't say is what part alcohol played in all of this? The article doesn't say, but I'd say it probably plays a massive part. It makes girls more vulnerable and boys more agressive. This country doesn't seem to have mastered the art of drinking sensibly.
I think that part of the reason for this is the way pubs are viciously courting the teenage pound. A pub full of young girls, will be full of boys. There is no thought given to ensuring sensible drinking. In many other european countries, families drink together, the teenagers will be in another part of the bar, but mums and dads are not too far away.
Teenage boys generally only want one thing. Girls. They think that getting pissed is the fastest path to a bit of sex. They'll drink themselves silly and do their damnedest to get the girls pissed as well. They know that this is the best knicker loosener known to man.
If you are a parent and your daughter is coming home pissed, you can be pretty sure as to what the base motivation for this is. I'm not sure what the answer is to the problem, but I'd advise you to not hide your head in the sand. Alcohol is the major cause of teenage deaths in this country, directly or indirectly (through road accidents). One drink never killed anyone, but there are plenty of things to be worried about. If nothing else, I suggest you explain to your daughters exactly why blokes like to buy them drinks. I'd also urge you to make sure they know they can tell you and you won't be cross if bad things happen
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