Ethical Problem Of Parental Nudity - Essay Example

Ethical Problem Of Parental Nudity Introduction: This paper is primarily based on discussing one of the most critical yet widespread issues of the present modernized world, parental nudity and the complications it raises for the children who have quite raw minds and for whom nudity can be anything from phenomenally creepy to strangely bizarre. Various researches have been done on this issue and are still going on in an order to identify and later scrutinize the most critical effects induced by parental nudity on children and adolescents. Through practice of parental nudity is still fairly steady in the Western world yet more and more people are getting aware about this most fundamental yet overlooked problem of the Western culture. While some think that parental nudity directly indicates the unashamed and unethical mental approach of the ignorant parents, there are still many who strongly argue against the negative aspects of parental nudity and opinion that this parental attitude is nowhere close to a heinous social behavior but in fact, parents should never feel like their bodies are something to be ashamed about and should teach so to the children as well. People supporting parental nudity claim that those arguing against this parental behavior are actually doing nothing creative but relentlessly focused on making a big deal out of nothing. Thesis statement: Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to illuminate the importance of raising awareness about myriad intricate complex issues created by parental nudity in front of the children. Thoroughly bizarre and troubling effects this negative social behavior produces upon the children is the main purpose of this paper along with identifying differing public opinions about this issue so that this issue could be handled in a more appropriate and bias free manner. Arguments supporting and antagonizing parental nudity: 1. Immunity developed by the public serves as the stimulator of nudity: This remains no incredulous concept that people in the West have conventionally been showing too much skin always. In a vast majority of countries in the West, one frequently comes across women in bikinis and men in underwear, be that upon a beach resort, a party or a swimming pool. Children grow up watching all this strange and terribly sick public behavior yet they are more than often suppressed to raise questions about this because this negative public behavior greatly mimics acceptable Western social standards. This behavior is now so engraved in the societal structure of the Western world that people do not even begin to think that any negative consequences can be produced by roaming around naked in front of the children. In such a situation where not much hatred can be found against parental nudity, how can an innocent child question his/her parents about excessive nudity while being told all the time by them that this is nothing but human-friendly behavior and in fact portrays the broad-minded approach humans have developed over time about their bodies. It remains a deplorable fact that the Western world has almost completely developed immunity for parental nudity though still some loopholes are left and because of which ethical counselors and psychologists continue doing research about how this behavior can affect the children, in what way, and to what extent? Scholars and people arguing against the parental approach of walking all around the house barely covered and feeling absolutely unashamed and unregretful claim that it is an unequivocal fact that nudity serves as a skilled driver of libido. It may also be one of the reasons why earlier than the necessary onset of puberty in the Western world is steadily increasing over time. Sexual simulations are certainly one of the worst consequences of parental nudity and even more sad is the reality that parents determined on nudity are least considerate about this tragic effect produced on children who are way immature and raw to understand anything related to sex. Although nudity is generally considered different from pornography and is traditionally considered less vulgar as compared to pornography, yet it is one of the essentials of pornography and is often the interface between nobility and pornography. 2. Naturism forms the bedrock of parental nudity for supporters: As discussed earlier, having seen nudity throughout their life, grown up people develop immunity to nudity. Then there is the concept of naturism which is strongly sought by parents supporting nudity in the Western world and which also lays the foundation of parental nudity in many crude ways. Basically, naturism refers to worshipping nature and implies that living beings should remain in their natural state in an order to respect nature and its beauty. For naturists, practicing, advocating, and defending nudity is like fulfilling their destinies and they do not feel bad or awkward about social nudity even in the least bit because it is something like preserving their natural rights for them. Personal freedom forms the backbone of the concept of naturism and it is known by all that the Western world heavily portrays personal freedom. Thus, there seems to be no end to the practice of parental nudity and with this, children are continually being influenced by negative ethical and sexual effects. It can be proposed that most of the parents practicing nudity in front of their children happen to be naturists and therefore, they are often found claiming that nudity highlights a lifestyle worshipping nature and heavily stimulates the people to develop self-respect which is fair and good for the children as well who should not feel awkward by seeing their parents barely covered and showing much skin. “When kids are raised knowing what their parents look like naked, then they are more accepting of a loving way of life” (Johns, 2009). Main problems confronting the children when presented to nudity: Scholars and ethics researchers are busy raising awareness among the public that what seems to be quite normal to the parents favoring the concepts of naturism and parental nudity may not be equally normal for their children. It should not be believed however that all parents support dressing provocatively in front of their children because there are many who detest parental nudity as they are sensitive enough to acknowledge the kind of stimulation they may give their children by barely covering themselves up at homes especially. Every day, a child learns more about the world through the images. Things get particularly critical when a child enters teenage. Nudity attracts the child and arouses him/her sexually (Daniels, 2011). The child may not necessarily watch porn movies. Nude pictures are quite sufficient to satiate the child's cravings for sex. Parental nudity is sexual abuse to the children, so it must be avoided. Having established that nudity arouses the child sexually, a mom who walks past her teenage son in a bra and a mini skirt commits one of the gravest sins on Earth by exciting the son's lust, though it not intended by her nor the son. One may say, what's the limit? Where should draw a line between modest clothes and immodest clothes? The rule is simple; the more the skin shows up, the greater tendency a parent develops to excite his/her own child sexually. Exposing a child to excessive live nudity is a form of child sexual abuse (medicine health, 2011). As children are naturally curious to gain knowledge about human sexual anatomy, seeing parents naked at home only fulfills their natural desire but only way earlier than necessary. Parental nudity is not only wrong because it makes the children sexually attracted towards the parents, but it is also wrong because it has the capacity to inculcate different kinds of complexes in the children. Having seen a parent’s genitals, a child may wonder why he has got different genitals than the parent. A son might envy the father for having more mature sexual organ than he has and might be led to wonder why his genitals differ from the way his parents’ look (Tsai, 2007). These and several other concerns like these may upset the children and they may feel low because of their underdeveloped bodies. Also, external stimulation in the form of parental nudity is sure to lead the children wishing of a sort of sexual relationship with the stimulating persons. Too much exposure is definite to stimulate the children sexually because this is nudity, something they look for on the internet when nobody is around! Hence, parental nudity is a sexual abuse done to the children by their own parents. The association of parental nudity with relativism: Deontological ethics evaluates an action depending upon the supposed moral duties of an individual in a certain setting. "To make the correct moral choices, we have to understand what our moral duties are and what correct rules exist to regulate those duties. When we follow our duty, we are behaving morally. When we fail to follow our duty, we are behaving immorally" (Cline, 2011). Moral duty of parents is to inculcate good manners in the children and teach them to be civilized. By roaming around the children naked, parents not only set up a very bad example for the children but also challenge the integrity of the parent-child relationship. Although deontological ethics solves the problem, relativism challenges the assumption that parental nudity causes any harm to the children. Basically, the concept of relativism implies that the significance or meaning of any belief is never absolute but is always subjective in accordance with varying cultural or moral differences. Parents practicing parental nudity claim that this social approach is not any out of the world kind of thing, rather it is just a thing that is perceived differently by people from different cultures. When moral standards are not the same everywhere, then why should the public approach towards nudity be the same? The association of parental nudity with relativism implies that when nudity is looked down upon in the more conservative Eastern world when it is widespread in the Western world, this does not mean that there is any serious moral problem with parental nudity. In fact, it only means that the significance of nudity is not solid and continues shaping itself according to the beliefs held by people from different cultural backgrounds. Also, ethical egoism considers an action just if the outcome is favorable for the evaluator. Since the parents like the feeling of freedom they gain from nudity, they may consider the nudity morally correct. “Emotivism is a philosophical theory that analyses moral statements and what we mean when we utter statements in moral language” (Tell Me How, 2007). Personal experiences with parental nudity: One fine day during my childhood, I happened to visit my classmate's place whose parents had migrated from Finland a few years before. As time passed with me and my friend Tom chatting in the living room, suddenly my eyes caught the glimpse of Tom's father catching up to the kitchen, while he was nude with water still dripping from his hair suggesting he had just taken a shower. I could not believe what my eyes saw at first having been from a family where I never came across such a nude scene and I still vividly remember my face burning with shame as Tom's father made his next stop in the living room. As Tom's father remained totally oblivious, I could not help but notice a strange sexual take which grabbed my friend for quite a long time with me exposed to new horizons of emotional turbulence. Due to my personal experiences with parental nudity, I must say that parents should be careful and dress up modestly particularly when they are surrounded by their children owing to the serious impact of parental nudity upon them. Mothers should try to cover their bodies fully except for hands, feet, neck, face, and arms. Fathers must cover their bodies at least from the navel till knees. Preferably, they should also always wear a shirt. Sexual stimulation is an involuntary action and a child may feel sexually aroused towards a parent without intention if the parent is too ignorant to estimate the possible impact of his/her nudity upon the child. References Cline, A. (2011). Deontology and Ethics: What is Deontology, Deontological Ethics? Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/ethicalsystems/a/Deontological.htm. Daniels, L. (2011). Protecting Children from Sexual Overstimulation. Retrieved from http://www.lucydanielscenter.org/page/protecting-children-from-sexual-overstimulation Emedicinehealth. (2011). Child Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/child_abuse/page2_em.htm Johns, K. (2009). Why nudity isn't harmful for children. Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/1695005-nakedness-teaching-kids-about-their-bodies-naked-moms-and-dads-nudist-colony-naked Mosser, K. (2010). Introduction to ethics and social responsibility. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSOC120.10.2 Tell Me How. (2007). What is emotivism? Retrieved from http://www.tellmehowto.net/answer/what_is_emotivism_240. Tsai, M. (2007). Should Kids See Their Parents Naked? Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2007/09/should_kids_see_their_parents_naked.html Read More