Concerning several other problems that have been discussed with special
reference to young men, it seems best that all young women should be
informed sometime between sixteen and twenty-two, the age limit
depending upon maturity of the individual, home life, and social
environment.
[Sidenote: Prostitution.]
With regard to prostitution, it seems important that girls should know
the essential facts recommended in the lecture concerning boys. The
"unprotected" girl of low-grade environment will often need some of
this knowledge before she is fourteen (and in some cases, even twelve)
years old. On the other hand, the average "protected" girl need not
know until several years later. It seems possible that too early
familiarity with the existence of sexual vice might tend to make some
young women accept it as part of the established order of things; and,
hence, the girl whose environment is protective and whose moral
training has been complete will be perfectly safe without knowledge of
vice and will be more likely to take an opposition attitude if she
learns the facts concerning prostitution when she is approaching
maturity. Even then the essential information should be given in such
a way that the young woman will see the gravity of the social situation
and, at the same time, not develop a spirit of sex hostility. Here,
again, I must recommend Louise Creighton's "Social Disease and How to
Fight It" as not only pointing out the nature of the great evil, but
also recognizing that the existing situation can never be improved
except by the sympathetic cooperation of the best men and women.
[Sidenote: Dancing.]
With regard to dancing, young girls should be taught that certain forms
of this exercise are not approved by the most refined people. Before
maturity, they should not know the physiological reason for this
disapproval. In fact, I know many men and women who think it best that
most women, even mature, should not have their attention called to the
sexual dangers of dancing. For my part, I cannot see how women with
such ignorance can cooperate with the best men in reducing the admitted
dangers to a minimum.
[Sidenote: Dress.]
With regard to dress as a sexual problem, some mothers think they can
handle the problem with their young daughters by emphasizing modesty
and without further explanation; but the drawing power of fashions is
so great that most young women are quick to revise their ideas of
modesty to suit the latest style. Is it too much to hope that large
numbers of young women would accept such facts as were stated in the
lecture for young men (Sec. 36), and would be sincere enough to dress so
that their attractiveness may appeal more to the aesthetic and less to
the physical natures of men?
[Sidenote: Merely a man's views.]
In this lecture concerning the special teaching of young women, I have
attempted nothing more than an outline of the impressions that I have
gained from books and from representative women who are interested in
the larger sex-education. I have not tried to make the discussion as
extensive as that for young men, first, because I cannot believe that
young women in general need so much special instruction; and, second,
because only women can adequately advise concerning the sex-educational
problems of young women. However, since the women who might be expected
to know the truth about women have failed to agree on so many points,
it may be worth while for a man to contribute some suggestions based on
the most scientific information offered by some very reliable women.
[Sidenote: Books.]
Among the books which touch the special problems for young women, I am
most favorably impressed by the following: Hall's "Life Problems" in
the first thirty-two pages is adapted for girls of twelve to fourteen,
and the remainder for older girls. Some parents are not enthusiastic
about the story form, but the facts are well selected and presented.
The last chapter of Smith's "Three Gifts of Life" is worth reading, but
the first chapters are unscientific. For almost mature young women,
there are chapters of Rummel's "Womanhood and Its Development," of
Wood-Allen's "What a Young Woman Should Know," of Lowry's "Herself,"
and of Galbraith's "Four Epochs of a Woman's Life." The last two are
decidedly medical in point of view. The part for girls in Scharlieb and
Sibley's "Youth and Sex," and some chapters of March's "Towards Racial
Health," are good. The last two chapters of Geddes and Thomson's "Sex"
will be appreciated by many intellectual young women. Hepburn's
sentimental little story "The Perfect Gift" (Crist Co., 3c) has helped
many young people improve their aesthetic outlook. There are some
helpful ideas in Henderson's "What It Is To Be Educated" (Houghton
Mifflin Co.). While disagreeing (Sec. 46) with Dr. Richard Cabot's
extreme emphasis on a mystical religious solution for problems of sex, I
recognize that many young women have been helped by his "The Christian
Approach to Social Morality" (Y.W.C.A.), and by his "What Men Live
By."
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