Why does society today act like teenage pregancy is ok?

Question

I'm talking under 18 pregnancy... Society appears to have gone soft on kids getting pregnant. We have so many these days, and everyone just goes "There, there, it's ok". No offensive to any teenage mums out there, it's not ok. The last time I checked, the legal age to have sex was 16. That law appears to have gone out of the window too. And it's not just moral wise either, it's finanical too. 95% of the time, it's tax payers (like myself) or the teenagers parents who are funding for the baby, not them. I mean, take responibilty of whats yours, don't rely on other people to pick up after you....

Do you think the reason why the UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate is because we're too soft?

Answer 1

The problem is many children no longer have respect for themselves or anyone else. They do not understand the word 'no' because their namby pamby parents always gave in them when they were small children. Therefore, when they embark on their young adult life, their only concern is being able to do as they please, exercise their rights without any thought for the consequences.

Under age sex is against the law, and I feel that the law should be enforced more strongly. This should be taught as part of sex education in schools and there should be harsh consequences for the girl as well as the boy.

Young people should have more respect for their own bodies and understand that it is ok to say 'no'. And those who insist on having sex should be in no doubt of possible consequences, not just pregnancy but STD's and HIV. In other words education is the key, that and parents taking a more responsible role in teaching them sex education (without the embarrassment).

I hope this makes sense to you

Answer 2

after a while of it happening and all sorts of teaching and protection methods have been tried and somehow failed (there is still a high percentage of teenage pregnancies) it became normal and accepted. Some can handle being a teen mom and some can't.
some parents can keep tabs on their kids and some can't.
Even where i'm from, this type of pregancy is a style. i feel the reason why the UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate because there is no opportunity for parents to keep a tab on their child(ren) (find out what going on when their young kids who are maturing in a world where the things they don't understand, they don't want to/can't ask their parents )due to one reason or another.

Answer 3

First let me say I am very judgmental :) But I respect other people's choices even if I don't understand them.

I remember when teen pregnancy was a true stigma here in the US. In fact my step-sister got pregnant at 16 and married her boyfriend when she found out just to have a little sense or propriety.

I think teen pregnancy is more OK now because sex is now more OK at an earlier age: look at how kids dress and speak and act now. a 9-year old in drop-waist jeans is too much, but they wear them.

It is also now easier and more acceptable to get public aid/welfare for pregnant teens. Who hasn't heard about how much someone gets from the government per kid or from child-support. Sad to say some mothers/parents are opportunists.

On the upside though, the easier they make it to raise a child, hopefully there are fewer abandoned, abused or neglected children around. I support programs that allow free birth control, parenting courses and giving up babies for adoption as other options because keeping the child is not the only choice and it doesn't have to be.

It is said all the time - don't have sex unless you have thought about all the consequences, hell no one hardly thinks of AIDS anymore, why would they think about pregnancy?

In any case it is hard to raise a kid at any age these days I think, so even if the social stigma is no longer there, the hard work and responsibility stays the same or increases.

I know some people who say they had kids early so they could still be young enough to party - seen any 35 year-old grandmothers lately? I have!

Answer 4

I was a teen mum but married. My daughter was a teen mum. We've never asked for 'funding' We've always worked full time. My friend, we are NOT in the minority but majority.I have a 40 year old daughter with a new baby-now that's what I call irresponsible !
A lot of the high teenage pregnancy rate is caused because they're not busy enough. I can't remember the last time I saw a Youth Club for the kids,a park where over 14's are welcome or a road/area where there's no notices saying'no ball games' or 'no cycling'. I was never in -they've got nowhere to go -and quickly running out of other things to pass the time

Answer 5

Very nice question! 1. Murder/Rape 2. Sexism & The Body Image Girls Look Up To 3. Government - (Immigration, President, War, Economy) 4. Out of Control Children 5. Drugs 6. Pollution/Global Warming I have no idea how to fix them. I just wish all the parents in the world would care about their children, and I wish drugs were only made possible in medicine and every medication had to have a prescription. I wish people would stop burning garbage and see the cloud-like billows of smoke they're sending in the air. I wish people would fess up to global warming, and that the parents would actually care enough about their kids to prevent them from dying from it in the future. I wish everything was perfect. Don't we all?

Answer 6

I don't believe that teenage pregnancy has become acceptible in this day and age, it has just become a realistic issue. People say "there, there, its Okay" because the teenager who is pregnant is terrified of having a baby, and moral support is what this teenager is going to need in order to not get an abortion. A new life is a reason to celebrate, and although we do not want our teenagers to be sexually active and conceive it does happen. It does not mean that society accepts teenage pregnancy. Believe me, when people see a young lady with a pregnant belly, people are looking in awe, and usually it is disgust. But the right thing to do is NOT to judge.

Answer 7

im not sure thats true, i think people generally agree that children having children does not make the best parenting, however, it needs to be remembered that it doesnt necessarily make for the worst either. we dont want to go back to the old days when children were removed from teen mothers and they were treated as if they were sinners, immoral and 'bad'. quite often they had to be hidden away. i agree with your point that essentially underage sex is against the law, however, the law is murky on who to prosecute. if both children are under age, what is the penalty? in regards to your point about tax payers, well tax payers pay for all children, not just those from teenagers, we also pay a hell of a lot more for the elderly but we dont want to kill them off early do we?

Answer 8

no its because their too 'soft' and have no morals instead of being afraid( not afraid as in years ago) parents nowadays are getting the nursery ready and the teenagers are getting everything they need handed to them and for free, if a girl wait until shes married before having a baby she will have to go out and buy everything .

Answer 9

yeah we are too soft but at the same time look at the teenagers that yes are having babies but also keeping them lookng after them give them some credit not all tennagers that get pregnant dump there kids off on family are friends i have 2 teenagers and yes i have told them not to have sex till there over 16 but at the same time you can not be with your kids 24/7 there is also diffret factors to consider would you rather these teenage mum's give up on there baby mmm i think not you will call them for that too i suppose and if you want to talk about teenage girls having kids when not the fathers that done the deed some of them dont even stick with the mothers they walk leaving the young mum to hold the baby be there for it all the time to all the young mum;s out there hold your baby good luck i think this person with the question has been watching to many jerry springer and jermery kyle tv or trisha look your not the only tax payer we all do it myself included thanks and do you hear me complaining give them some credit would you rather they dumped there kid

Answer 10

Teenage pregnancies are nothing new, they have been around ever since there were teenagers. Fortunately today there are far fewer of them than there were fifty years ago. Education and contraception have cut the number of unwanted pregnancies dramatically.

Another difference today is that many of the teenaged mothers are allowed to keep their babies rather than be forced to give them up for adoption. We have greater respect for the rights of the mother today.