Frederick County parents are concerned about a survey that their middle schoolers have taken that asks about their children's sexual history and drug use.
Among the questions on Maryland's "Youth Tobacco and Risk Behavior Survey" are "Have you ever used heroin (also called smack, junk, or China White)?" and With how many people have you ever had sexual intercourse?"
Other questions ask about bullying, body image and whether adults are available to talk when the children need it.
Parents say they don't fully object to the survey, but think some of those questions are not appropriate for middle school-aged children.
"These to me struck me as questions you wouldn't not ask an 11-year-old," one mother said.
Some say having the exposure to these topics in a school or classroom setting may send the message the behavior is condoned.
"If the school allows these questions, they come home and say, 'I'm 11 but I haven't had sex, is there something wrong with me?'" another mother said.
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Completing the survey is voluntary, and students are encouraged to leave questions blank if they are not comfortable answering. The survey is a state requirement, so school officials cannot do anything about it. Students who take the quiz are chosen randomly and fill out the quiz anonymously.
Here's the full survey:
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