Teenagers have come a long way in the field of dating and relationships. There was a time when teenagers went on dates where they were chaperoned by parents. They were not allowed to date alone. Parents were very careful and always monitored what their children were doing.
In our society today, teenage dating has become very relaxed and open. It is common for teenagers to go on dates with members of the opposite sex alone. They will go out to dinner, go to the movies, attend school dances, or many other things. Parents have gotten to where they let their children date and let them go about dating unsupervised and on their own. Sometimes, this works well and other times it can result in lifelong consequences.
Responsible teenagers are capable of going on dates and knowing what is appropriate. They are able to function with another teenager of the opposite sex without having an adult watching over them. These teens have a great deal of responsibility and have worked hard to develop their parents trust. They strive to keep that trust and not jeopardize the freedom that they have been given. These teens do not pose any problems with dating or relationships with members of the opposite sex.
On the other hand, there is a rebellious, unruly, and dangerous group of teenage daters. These teens are a threat to themselves and others in many ways. They are not capable of being responsible and conducting themselves appropriately on a date. In many cases these teens have not had a lot of supervision or guidance from their parents.
Perhaps they had parents that worked long hours or were not home for whatever reason. But, no matter what the reason they have not been brought up properly and are not responsible. They are not capable of making the right decisions for themselves. These teens are the ones that most commonly end up being arrested for things that they have done.
Their relationships are very poor and they seem to seek out people that act the same way that they do. This only compounds the problem. Others will end up with babies before they graduate high school. The possible consequences of dating that is not behaviorally appropriate are immense.
Parents have a responsibility to guide and direct their children. They need to make sure that their teens are safe when they are away from them. Teens should know right and wrong. They should be fully aware of the consequences of their actions before they are allowed to date and spend extended periods of time with members of the opposite sex.
This is important for protecting everyone that is involved. There is no room for error. The only way for something to happen would be for the teenager to directly defy their parents. Yes, this does happen, but most often once a teen has gained that freedom and trust from their parents, they are not willing to risk losing that. So, as long as children are raised appropriately, the risks of bad decisions are greatly decreased.