ABSTRACT
Whoever believes middle school students don’t talk about sex without prompting from sexuality education classes is probably suffering from both amnesia and complete isolation from adolescents. Everyone surely remembers the sexual stories they heard as teens and preteens. As adults we may be shocked or amused by these stories, but we should not ignore them. Rather than dismissing a legend as ridiculous, impossible, or too disgusting, we should pay attention to adolescent legends and other folklore, such as beliefs and even jokes. By inviting adolescents to bring their folklore to family conversations or to the classroom, we may get a new perspective on their pressing concerns. By engaging with folklore and not dismissing it, we may have new avenues to approach adolescents’ anxieties and fears.
