The UK has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Europe. Recent studies have suggested that introducing sex education to children as young as 10 may be encouraging them to ‘experiment’ without realising the risks and responsibility that go with it. This coupled with a lot of parents leaving thier kids to their own devices a lot of the time has left them with much time to do what they like.
There was an initiative to educate young boys to use adequate protection but this came under fire from groups that suggested that kids that young shouldn’t be having sex anyway.
I know of many girls that have got pregnant, some from my home town when I was at young and recently from my sisters, who tell me that there are a few girls who have got pregnant.
What is the future for these mothers? most often than not the father is long gone, even before the baby is born. Statistics show that most of these girls end up keeping the baby. They are a burden on society as most of these young women don’t work.. or even Can’t work due to the lack of affordable child care available.
I personally think that the problem has it’s roots deep in family society. Parents need to be encouraged to take more responsibility for thier kids. There needs to be more available for kids to do when they are not at school, there needs to be more motivation for them not to throw their lives away. There needs to be more focus, not on sex education, but the importance of family and the responsibilities that come with having a baby.
I didn't know, it has become so common in UK. Here in Austria there are some exceptional cases as well, but not so many.
I fully agree with you, that the focus should be on telling the kids, what responsibility they are taking with having a baby, rather than telling them about sex.
But the main factor is the environment that the kids are brought up in. If that doesn't change, it would be no use to change the focus of the education.
Hmmm
There is no medical alert in teenage pregnancy if it is above the age of 15.
Well extra maritial or should I say non-maritial pregnancies is a problem for sure. But the rate is only 2.1% among the Asian girls. What is needed to be done is to educate the families (not the girls and boys . . only heads of the families) how to tackle these kind of situations and how to educate their own children to ensure that they are on right path.
--I know I'll be a King One day, When Im Dead, They Gonna take me on their shoulders, Just like a King--
Good topic. Haven't had time to reply to it cuz I think there is lots to be said.
Here are some comments:
Perhaps education on preventing pregnancies is warranted and those that would like to stick their heads in the sand and say, "Why should we teach them about contraception when they are too young to be having sex?" should be asked to account for unwanted teenage pregnancies.
Teenagers that want to have access to certain types of information are going to devise ways to gain access, that much is for sure. We cannot totally prevent them from learning about and experimenting with sexuality related actions.....so why not make sure that the information they do receive is accurate, healthy and wholesome?
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Originally posted by CoolDude: I personally think that the problem has it's roots deep in family society. Parents need to be encouraged to take more responsibility for thier kids. There needs to be more available for kids to do when they are not at school, there needs to be more motivation for them not to throw their lives away. There needs to be more focus, not on sex education, but the importance of family and the responsibilities that come with having a baby.
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I have to whole-heartedly agree with you when you say that the quality of parenting has a lot to do with many of the social ills our young adults face today.
I don't know about the idea that there needs to be more available for them to do when they are not at school. If you do a close examination of the statistics surrounding teenage pregnancies, you will find that a good portion of them involve kids that are from an afluent background (thereby suggesting that parents are not necessarily completely engrossed in making rent money) and/or are very much into extra-curricular sports, etc.
But generally, I agree with your points. There needs to be more importance and emphasis placed on family values.
Secretyly wonders when is someone going to show up in this thread and suggest that pornography is the leading factor contributing to teenage pregnancies?
the problem is that the gora society has removed the stigma of being a teenage single mom (i'm only talking about those girls who got pregnant accidently or b4 marriage). its not scorned at like it used to. The teenagers attitude is like, its my life, and if i get prego, My man will support the child or he'll pay child support (she'll have to drag his ass to court in most cases).
the girl also thinks that the guy is going to be a MAN and is now going to marry her. The guy has other plans and would like to be as far away from the teen mom as he can.
School Sex ED is not going to do squat. Its how you're raised and whats going on around you. These gora ppl can bring out statistics to support any argument and in the near future, we'll hear that they showig pre-school students how to put on a condom properly..cuz its never to early to educate a child about sex.
This is pretty controversial issue because most of the European parents are accepting the pregnancy of their teenage girls. Luckly it doesn't happen in Pakistani families or I should say Asian families (but it doesn't mean that pakistani or asian girls dont get pregnant out of marriage relationships, they do - usually abortion is the solution to their teenage pregnancy).
Now UK government is teaching the school girls that its better to stay virgin even though if they are bullied or taunted for it. I dont know if this compaign will be successful or not, but I think this is a better move. On top of it UK government has introduced TAX rebate & additional benefits to mothers (only in married couple cases, unmarried mothers cant get it). These steps are introduced to entice girls to get married and then get pregnant, & also bringing the family morals back.
BTW, I applied for my little girl's passport last month and when I was filling in the application form I saw a column "If a child is a ba$tard". I couldn't believe on my own eyes & I was thinking that a society that accepts a child out of marriage actually gives him/her nationality after he/she is accepted as "ba$tard" by his own father/mother. (I was filling the form printed for UK nationals living outside UK & it might be different from the one available inside UK).
[This message has been edited by Najim (edited July 05, 2001).]
I personally think that the problem has it's roots deep in family society. Parents need to be encouraged to take more responsibility for thier kids. There needs to be more available for kids to do when they are not at school, there needs to be more motivation for them not to throw their lives away. There needs to be more focus, not on sex education, but the importance of family and the responsibilities that come with having a baby.
Cooldude, what about the families who feel they've provided proper family values along with family time and monitoring. What would be the cause of teenage preganancy then? I don't think its as simple as just isolating the family and saying that if the kid got pregant or got someone pregnant, then the family didn;t provide adequate values or paid attention to the child.
I have a teeanger in my family whose a parent now. Knowing the family upclose, I can't see a pattern of neglect or lack of proper teachings of "family values" by the parents (they have raised 5 other children who have turned out o.k.) I don't think anyone in this thread (except for one other person) has first hand experience in dealing with these situations when they happen in the families. And knowing these situations, I don't think family values alone can be attributed to such "incidents." Even when all the prpoer measures along with "family values" are taken, one wrong move or "letting the guards down for a second" can ruin all of leassons learned.
My feeling is to give proper values at home but always keep your gaurd up. Question every little act and watch everywhere the kids go and whom they interact with. Never assume what they say is totally correct. I guess I am once bitten twice shy!!
the problem is that the gora society has removed the stigma of being a teenage single mom....its not scorned at like it used to.
Nomaan sahib, how long do you think it will before the society starts putting "stigma" on the "guy"???
....(i'm only talking about those girls who got pregnant accidently or b4 marriage)...
Allright, so I guess its o.k. to have sex as long as they don;t get pregnant.
Ghalib: Using the Uk as an example then the majority of teenagers who get pregnant are from the more deprived areas. Of course giving a child good family values and support doesn't guarentee that the child won't get pregnant but at least it is an attempt to educate them into understanding what they should strive for in life.
As for the families taking responsibilty, why shouldn't they? After all, they are the legal guardians of a child until he/she turns 18 so they should hold some responsibility for their actions.
Why is it that we don't see (to the same degree) as many teenage pregnancies in Pakistan as their are in the UK? It's not just about abortions or the fact that they hide them - girls do that in the UK too. It's probably more to do with the way Pakistani society frowns upon having children out of wedlock. That can only be a good thing.
As for the families taking responsibilty, why shouldn't they? After all, they are the legal guardians of a child until he/she turns 18 so they should hold some responsibility for their actions.
Parents have a responsibilty for their kids and their actions but only upto a certain limit. The kid may be taught proper etiquettes or values at home to parent's satsfaction but when a kid is out with the friends, peer pressure or lapse of sound judgement for a little while can be a big factor.
I simply don't think that if a child does something wrong, parents should be held accountable from the get-go but rather a case-by-case analysis of the family should be done to determine the guitly party. There are cases where parents neglect their kids and kids do go out and cause harm to themselves and others, this is the case you're talking about. But not every troubled child is of parent's fault.
Using the Uk as an example then the majority of teenagers who get pregnant are from the more deprived areas......Why is it that we don't see (to the same degree) as many teenage pregnancies in Pakistan as their are in the UK?
Deprived Teeange girls in Pakistan do get pregnant but rather from their 50 year old husbands then by their own free will. So if you compare pregannacies, IMO, girls in UK are better off simply because they have consent. I don't think you can compare the plight of derprived teenage girls in UK with those of Pakistan because they're in totally different environments. They both do get pregnant but under totally different circumstances. Which one do you think is better?
It's probably more to do with the way Pakistani society frowns upon having children out of wedlock.
Cooldude, are we talking about teeange pregnancy here or having children out of wedlock? Because they're not always mutually inclusive. When we talk about children out of wedlock, we're also talking about adults with established careers and lifestyles and not just about teeangers.
Teeange preg. is considered a problem everywhere, not just in our dear old Pakistan, while children out of wedlock is not.
Sex education is wrong for pupil as young as 10. It makes them to check it out and see what happens.
The education from the parents that it is okay to have a Girl Friend/Boy Friend as young as 10 - 11.
The majority of these young women having babies get Council accommodation easier then a proper married couple. (As I know few people doing it).
How to resolve this problem:
Sex education either should be stopped along with Contraception pills available with Nurses or GP.
Parents should make their children to concentrate on their studies not GF/BF.
Government should either provide a better childcare so those teenagers can concentrate on their studies or find work for their family or discourage young teenage couples/mothers.
I think there should be tougher penalties for boys who get girls under the age of consent (16) pregnant. The threat of Jail might make them think twice before having unprotected sex. We can't deny that a lot of underage kids have sex - they do. But kids also have way too much exposure these days. I'm shocked at what kids as young as 7 know come out with.