Article inspiring the debate:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

Questions to kick it off:

1) What would you do if your daughter(Or some theoretical daughter you may one day have) got pregnant at, say, 14 or thereabouts?

2) Do you think this is actually anything new, or just the way it's always been, but less socially acceptable and less easy to cover up these days?

3) Do you think there's anything to be done, or is it just human nature?

4) Do you think these girls are making a terrible, stupid choice or that it's perfectly legitimate to decide that you want to be a mother in your teens?

Note on Abortion: Perfectly fine with people answering that they'd encourage their child to get an abortion, or that they think it would be abhorrent, but since we are barred from religious debate, and the debate on abortion often touches on that sort of ground, try not to engage each other in debates about whether abortion is right and wrong unless your arguments/viewpoint are wholly secular. I would prefer not to have this thread locked. I imagine you're allowed to say if religion or other spiritually-related reasons are why you think it's wrong, but leave it there.

1) Put her up for adoption. ;)

2) I was under the impression that a couple hundred years ago 14 was the average age women got married/had children.

3) I'd say only dumb kids want to get pregnant on purpose at that age. Any kid that received a decent education would know this isn't a good idea. Oh well... more trailer trash.

4) A terrible choice.

More trailer trash? Does this mean that rich kids don't think about sex? It's the domain of the poor then, and there isn't a problem with uppermiddle or "high class" individuals?

Well 14 and pergnant. Not a easy way to start things off being a mother. Being a Dad of two wounderful kids. I can say that it takes alot of time and work to raise children. If my daughter is pergnant at 14. I will do what ever I can to help out. And keep my daughter in school. As well as the father. It helps to have a education in this day and age. When finding work.

I do not think it is covered up as much as it once was. Would I cover it up. No. And yes teenage pregancy has always been around. Luvian I think we are talking about this day and age not hundreds of years ago. [img]smile.gif[/img] Hundreds of years ago not many women did any thing outside the house. This day and age alot is demanded from women. And I mean things outside the house. Like getting a good job.

Like I said it has always been around. I do think alot of these problems stem from the home. And todays kids are just different then lets say 30 years ago. Not to sure what it is. But there values seem to be different. But not all kids. I am not grouping the whole lot into one group.

Yes I think it is a terrible choice.

In an ideal world, parents would wait until they have their own personalities and experiences. They'd be actualized, dynamic individuals, who have had a chance to establish themselves in the world, and have something valuable to pass on to the next generation.

This obviously rarely happens.

However, when somoene had a child at an age that young, she has to put her own life on hold and start caring for a child immediately. She no longer has a life of her own, no longer has a chance to explore her opportunities or figure out who she even is. No 14-year old is a good person to raise a child, she still being a child herself. No matter how much aid she might get from family or lover, she's still 14, and will never have a normal life or a chance to rear a normal child.

Cynical and pessimistic? Yes. Worst-case scenario? You bet. But, unfortunately, I can't imagine it playing out any other way in 90% of these cases.

She's going to end up trailer trash because unless her parents cover up all her monetary expanse and help taking care of the children, there's no way a 14 years old pregnant mother can manage to get a good education, find a job, and take care of the kid at the same time.

Mack Attack. The question was if this is new or has always been. Yes, it's always been. It's been like this for hundred of years.

In the "has it always been this way"-question, I suppose I should have phrased it better. A lot of people are complaining that modern morals are collapsing and modern parents are useless and yadda yadda, do you think that, say, the "stronger morals" of thirty or fifty years ago meant this sort of thing happened less?

It's obvious that it happened way back in the day, back then, most women were really only used for making kids and taking care of them.

I hear ya Luvian. I was trying to say what do you think about in the context of this day and age. We all know the old days had this as well.
Would you would you not cover it up?? Or the social aspect of it. Is it easy to understand and accept now a days.

Your answer was correct. Just looking for little more.

If my 14 year old came home pregnant, I'd immediately drive her to the doctor to get a very discreet abortion.

If she refused, I'd drug her and then take her.

My theoretical daughter & I would be at the doctor's office asap...
If anything, I'd say it's becoming MORE socially acceptable, and people aren't trying to cover it up. A couple hundred years ago girls were getting married/pregnant at that age, but they were marrying first. Babies of unwed mothers used to be called bastards, and families with pregnant daughters moved or sent the girls away until the child was born, to avoid the shame.
Sex is human nature. As science gets better at eliminating STDs, and the shame of being an unwed mother is eliminated, these children have fewer inhibitions about experimenting.
Maybe 1 teen in a 1000 is mature enough to make a decision like that. Most can't comprehend what a huge change this would make in their lives, and they haven't developed the skills to handle it.