Posted on 12/03/2004 7:17:59 AM PST by Tarpaulin
HUNTSVILLE - Gloria Thomas never thought much about the jelly bracelets her two teenage daughters in the Huntsville school district had been wearing for the past year until she stumbled upon a color code chart in one of their notebooks.
For some students the plastic bracelets, which come in a rainbow of colors, are more than a trendy fashion statement. They're also props for sex games, a trend gaining momentum in other districts nationwide.
"I called the school on Monday and they acted like they didn't know about it," Thomas said. "I can't believe they're actually letting these kids wear these bracelets."
Huntsville school officials acknowledge that some students wear the bracelets, but they have not witnessed any inappropriate behavior associated with them.
Thomas' 13-year-old daughter, Monica, said both boys and girls wear the bracelets. The game begins when a boy notices a girl wearing a bracelet. He then tries to break or snap it off her wrist. The game works the same when a boy wears the bracelet.
If successful, the person wearing the bracelet is supposed to perform a sexual act that's determined by the bracelet's color.
According to one Web site, black represents sex, green represents outdoor sex, orange represents a kiss, red represents a lap dance and clear is anything goes.
Banning bracelets
Some districts in New York and Florida have banned the bracelets because they have become so disruptive in the classroom. Students have been caught snapping at bracelets as well as selling and trading them.
The jelly bracelet first appeared about 20 years ago when Madonna and other singers began wearing them.
The flimsy jewelry made a comeback last year, with middle and high school students slinging them on their wrist. Since then, the bracelets have become known as sex bracelets because of the unusual games.
School officials have tried to put an end to the games but say the trend continues to spread because of media coverage.
Huntsville officials say they have no plans to ban students from wearing the bracelets.
The Houston school district has not received complaints or reports of problems with the bracelets, nor does it have a policy that bans them, said district spokesman Norm Uhl.
Thomas, the only parent so far to complain to Huntsville officials, has pulled her children from Mance Middle School because she is not pleased with the district's response.
Case by case
Sharon Tule, an assistant superintendent, said principals have been made aware of the bracelets and how some students may be using them. They will decide what action to take on a case-by-case basis if students are caught doing something inappropriate or disruptive, she said.
"Our superintendent has talked with the principals and feels it is not widespread," Tule said. "This is new to us as well. Who would have ever thought?"
Easy access to information on the Internet is fueling the jelly bracelet craze. Dozens of Web sites hawk them and give instructions on how to play sex games with them.
Some Web sites note the games are for adults only.
Monica said students keep the game a secret from parents. But when her parents found her notebook, she had to fess up. She and her sister are no longer allowed to wear the bracelets and have been grounded indefinitely.
Mance Principal Tommy Hooker said teachers are always looking out for trends such as the jelly bracelets, and it seems that most students are not connecting them with the sex games.
"What students do outside of school we have no control of, but we don't even allow kids to hug and kiss. It's handled as inappropriate behavior," he said. "We certainly wouldn't let them wear a bracelet that says do more."
But banning the bracelets, he said, would be appropriate only if they were a disruption.
Opportunity for discussion
Sex education experts say the district is taking the right approach in dealing with the issue.
"They have not witnessed inappropriate behavior, so it doesn't make sense to ban them," said Debra Hauser, vice president of Advocates for Youth, a organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for policies that help young people make informed decisions about sex.
"Adults need to be very aware of what's happening and use the opportunity to have an honest dialogue with them (their kids) to help them figure out if what they're doing is appropriate or has repercussions," Hauser said.
"I called the school on Monday and they acted like they didn't know about it," Thomas said. "I can't believe they're actually letting these kids wear these bracelets."
Why is it the school's responsibility? Why is she letting her daughter wear them?
Precisely .... the trouble with wanting to be your kid's best friend instead of a parent is you not only fail your kid but you dump your problems on society.
I'm breathlessly awaiting the next expose on how teenagers are smoking stronger pot than their parents ever did in the 60's. Of course, those parents of teenagers were actually smoking pot in the 80's and not the 60's, but why spoil an annual baby boomer traditional holiday news story.
Now I understand
why so many FREEPERS use
posts with all black text!
Exactly! A Blue Nanny Stater for sure
Hasn't this been pretty much exposed as an urban myth?
Hmm, the website, I saw a while back, states that while some people wear certain colors denoting such things sexually, many people wear jelly bracelets not for that purpose.
The article makes it sound as if once a bracelet is broken, there is no choice- the act must be performed.
So...are these kids property, without the right to make their own decisions?
And besides, why would parents raise children who compete or participate in games like this?
for all you homeschoolers out there, see what you're missing? your kids need to be properly socialized! get them BACK into the schools so they can have real education and get socialization!
Want the schools to respond?
Etch the word 'J-e-s-u-s' on the bracelets.
"teenagers are smoking stronger pot than their parents ever did in the 60's"
No wonder I could never get high in the 60's. That stuff was crap!
I didn't take the Mom's comments that way........I thought she was contacting the school to see if they were aware of the connotation of the bracelets - it did say her daughters were grounded indefinitely...... ;^)
Or an email claiming someone's 59 year old grandpa was around before faxes or airconditioning.
Ya think I should gang up on my son and steal his lunch so he'll feel more socialized? lol
This is nothing new; when I was in school, back in the dark ages, the sex game back then was how many dots on the back of the beer bottle labels. When boys tried to give us the labels we generally just gave them the hairy eyeball. The girls that would do that stuff, did it and everyone knew who those girls were. The boys were just hopeful with the rest of us.
You hit the nail on the head with that one!
I know a couple
of pretty teenage girls who
wear colored bracelets.
I could try plucking
a bracelet to find out, but,
you know, these days, lots
of young girls have watched
Sidney Prescott beat the crap
out of all the guys
that have messed with her . . .
I'd be a worried I might get
a knuckle sandwich!
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