By Caro Azad
Becoming parents in adolescence has long been interpreted as a sign of desperation and poverty. But in a recent study entitled Teenage Parenthood: What’s the Problem?, sociologist Claire Alexander attempts to show that teenage pregnancy statistics are not always as dire as portrayed in the media or by politicians.
According to this study, the age of the pregnant mother is irrelevant. It is not the early pregnancy that might cause a precarious social situation, but the social and economic disadvantage that could come with it.
“Comparing all teenage mothers with other mothers is not good social science. It must rather be based on social experience, by comparing young mothers with other young people who grew up in similar circumstances and whose background is similar,” explained Rosalind Edwards, a sociologist who co-authored the study.
Less than 6 per cent of girls under 16 give birth to their first child, while 80 per cent of teenage mothers give birth at 19. The proportion of young couples who are married is 40 per cent, and 75 per cent of births are registered by the parents. As the study shows, even if young couples do not live together, the presence of the father seems significant.
Although the government is expecting a major decrease over the next 10 years, the rate of pregnancy among teenage girls in the UK continues to grow, approaching similar proportions to that of the 1950s.
The expected reduction of this problem is an ongoing challenge for the British government, said Beverly Hughes MP, the minister for Children, Young People and Families. The upward trend has been strongly criticised by British authorities, who speak of “shame for the country,” in the words of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, or a “lost generation”, according to Hilary Pannack, of the sex education charity Straight Talking.
Juliet Hillier, of Brook, a sexual health charity for young people, said: “Young parents feel competent, responsible and motivated to ensure the education of their children, while participating in [their own] education or work. Inadequate social and financial aid would, however, be an obstacle in creating an enabling environment for young parents.”
“The clearances available to young parents do not always take into account the geographical proximity between them, their families and their friends,” she added. “ It
is essential that funding finds its way to local areas where the need is greatest and this is simply not happening consistently.”
Among policy options considered, the sex education in schools will focus more on moral values and relationships, integrating young adolescents in dialogue to enable them to become aware “of their expectations and how to distinguish good from bad,” Hughes said.
Perfect !!