Clerics attribute children’s misconduct to premarital, extramarital sex by adults

Some religious leaders on Friday attributed the misconduct exhibited by children to premarital and extramarital sex practiced without inhibitions around them by some adults.
Some of these clergy men, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, decried the society’s nonchalant attitude towards upholding good virtues and celibacy until after marriage.
Rev. Fr. Dan Kyom, a Catholic priest in Kaduna Archdiocese, said the effects of exposing children to such immoral acts would affect the behavioural pattern of a child, as well as influence the child negatively.
Kyom said: “It is morally sinful to engage in premarital or extra marital sex and it baffles me when I hear people speaking carelessly about such acts.
“But most importantly, children see this thing happening in the society among adults, celebrities, ordinary people and even among teachers and they think it is right.
“They grow up and try to emulate such acts and in the long run face the consequences of such behaviour because they may get pregnant or contract Sexual Transmitted Diseases.”
Kyom, therefore called on members of the public to exhibit good tenets of their faith, promote chastity and keep to their marital vows.
Similarly, the Chief Imam of Area 10 Abuja Mosque, Mallam Sheik Yahya Al-Yolawi, also condemned the increase in premarital and extramarital affairs in the society.
Al-Yolawi said: “The increasing culture of having an affair before marriage is alarming.
“Religious leaders must stand up and condemn such acts, as well as tell people the reality and consequences of their actions.”
Al-Yolawi attributed the increase of such acts to western influence and the quest to emulate some actions exhibited in the society.
He further stated that the consequences of such acts was grievous as it could affect the marital home, build mistrust, lead to divorce, as well as affect the innocent child gotten from such acts, whom the society label as “bastard”.
Meanwhile, some residents in the Federal Capital Territory corroborated the opinions of the religious persons on the increase of immoral behaviour among children.
They decried the increase in pre-marital pregnancy among teenagers, which they said had increased immoral behaviour of children.
Deborah Moses, a teacher, decried the increase of immoral behaviour among teenagers, which she said was influenced by their zeal to emulate celebrities and adults around them.
Moses said the long-term effects of engaging in premarital and extramarital sex could be seen in the behaviour of children that had been exposed to it, as well as unplanned pregnancy, emotional trauma and sexually STDs.
She said: “If a child at a young age is exposed to such acts by people around him or her, definitely, if care is not taken, the child would grow up with similar behaviour.”
Similarly, Olagoke Omoyeni, a civil servant, stressed the need for the society to teach good morals as well as exhibit it for the youths and children to learn and put into practice.
Omoyeni said: “It is not only the parents that are responsible for impacting good morals in children.
“The society as a whole, including schools, government, unmarried persons, as long as you are a responsible adult, we all need to ensure that children are brought up in the right way.
“To prevent them from becoming a menace to the society.”
NAN.