Peggy Orenstein’s new book is a level headed look at the sociology and culture of sex and dating experienced by young women in modern America. It is journalistic but well informed; the last quarter of the book consists in endnotes. It’s very readable, with personal anecdotes and interviews illustrating the general themes. Her approach is liberal: she wants girls to be safe and empowered through their sexual choices, and so believes in education. She realizes that there are many pressures these days on young people, exacerbated by the age of the internet where young people have access to all sorts of apps, images, and information that were not available in previous decades. She argues that parents and policy makers need to avoid the mistakes of abstinence-only programs and the old models of girls who are meant to stay pure. Taking a measured look at the modern world of trends in who young people dress, talk, and interact and responding compassionately and non-judgmentally will  be better than trying to lock girls away from the modern world.

Girls & Sex addresses many of the news stories and trends that have got attention in recent years: twerking, waxing and shaving, sexting, slut-shaming, the shifting meaning of virginity, Purity Balls, hook ups, sexual experimentation, sexual harassment, alcohol and partying, sexual identity, coming out, same-sex relationship, religion and personal values, gender identity and transsexuals, sex positive attitudes, rape and affirmative consent. Orenstein provides some historical background to modern debates and while she provides a clear analysis, she also acknowledges many of the difficulties in finding straightforward answers.

It’s good to have this resource which avoids alarmism and gives a thoughtful perspective on modern debates around how parents should raise their daughters, what policies schools and colleges should have, and what laws are most beneficial. While Girls & Sex doesn’t break new ground, it does provide one of the most useful recent surveys of the sexual arena facing girls in the US.

© 2016 Christian Perring

Christian Perring, Professor of Philosophy, Dowling College, New York