Practically, for a young boy, it is better to treat the whole thing as dirty, nasty, and blackguardly.

And the whole subject must always be spoken of with reserve, without any emotion, and with much "dry light." With most lads I should go a step further; I should give the boy one of the White Cross papers, "A Strange Companion."[14] It is impossible to lay down hard and fast rules; it is impossible to make so many jam-pots of even young humanity, to be tied up and labelled and arranged upon the same shelf.

Each individuality has to be dealt with in all its mysterious idiosyncrasy.

One boy may be so reserved that it is better to write to him than to talk face to face; another may find the greatest possible strength and comfort in freedom of speech and the feeling that there is no barrier between him and his mother with regard to being able to tell her freely of any temptations that may assail him.

Your mother's instincts will be your best guide as to what method to adopt with each of your boys.
If the father of the lad can be induced, at any rate before he enters a boarding-school, to follow the advice of that remarkable man, Mr.
Thring, the founder of Uppingham School, in his address to our Church Congress, and write a letter of plain warning and counsel to the lad, it would be an unspeakable help.