THE RISE OF PROMISCUITY AMONG TEENAGERS

Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. It cannot be denied that adolescence is the time when they search for their own identity, and it is during this period that guidance and direction are greatly needed so that the search for identity does not stray in a negative direction. Various changes begin to appear, both in the body and in the way of thinking. They will start trying everything that looks interesting, to the point of not thinking about what consequences will occur. For example, in matters of promiscuity and drug abuse.

Promiscuity is also a phenomenon that is rife among teenagers; it occurs not only in big cities, but even in small villages it has become attached to the world of adolescents. One example is pregnancy outside marriage among teenagers who are still in school. For example, in Makassar, two junior high school students had relations like husband and wife, which began from simply dating.

It is truly sad how rampant promiscuity is these days: those who should be getting an education at junior high school instead use their time for dating and having fun until something unwanted happens. Behind all of this there must be several factors that influence the occurrence of promiscuity, both internal factors, namely low self-awareness about social relationships, and external factors, namely environmental factors.

The following are the factors that cause promiscuity. First, a lack of education in the family, especially from parents. Parents' lack of insight and supervision in raising  children makes children freer to do anything; for example, parents allow their children to date but do not supervise the child intensively. Second, broken homes. A broken home also affects a child's psychology; as a result of the parents' divorce, the child receives less affection from both parents, which is what makes the child seek attention and affection from other people.

Third, environmental conditions. Environmental conditions can influence a person's behaviour and character, such as mixing with the opposite sex without any limits. Not every environment has a good influence, whether at school or in the community. It is therefore very important to choose friends to socialise with so as not to fall into promiscuity. Fourth, the misuse of social media. As time passes, technological tools become more sophisticated, and so everyone can access anything through social media. Social media, which should be used for positive things, is instead used to access things that can lead to promiscuity.

From the factors above, the role of parents in supervising teenagers is very important. Teenagers must also learn to understand  and to sort out what is good for them and what is not. The impact of promiscuity is also serious, because promiscuity can cause various diseases, destroy personal lives, and can even damage the order of community life.

It is therefore very necessary to take preventive measures so that promiscuity does not occur among teenagers. The following can be done to prevent promiscuity: first, strict supervision from both parents; even if parents give their children freedom to socialise, supervision must still be carried out intensively so that promiscuity does not occur in the child. Second, be smart in choosing friends, and avoid friends who are likely to lead you to negative things.

Third, do more positive activities, keep yourself busy with positive things such as joining organisations that can develop our potential. Fourth, draw closer to God; drawing closer to God keeps us away from bad deeds that are forbidden by religion.

Fifth, maintain the relationship between parents and children; when a child is close to their parents, the child is better able to be open with their parents, and parents will also find it easier to supervise the child's social life. Wherever you are, you can apply the things above to avoid promiscuity. Keep socialising positively for your future and avoid promiscuity.