The future of our country lies in the hands of today’s youth, they will be our future leaders and decision makers, the heart of our business and industry.
Yet the UK has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in Europe. And this latest study disturbingly shows that the figure has risen most in affluent parts of the country where one would assume people were better informed.
So the sex message is not getting through. One in every ten babies born in the UK has a teenage mum, our teenage birth rates are twice as high as Germany, three times as high as France and six times as high as the Netherlands.
Research shows that teenage mums are less likely to finish their education and get a decent job. They are also more likely to become single parents and live in poverty. Their children are at greater risk of poor health and of becoming teenage mothers themselves. Letting so many teenagers drop out of education and employment creates a major cost to our society and economy.
While I’m sure many parents are doing their best to get the sex message over to their kids, many young people feel too embarrassed to talk about it with them, which is so many of them are still ignorant and ill-informed. Then there are those homes that provide no proper care and guidance to their kids.
Surprisingly, sex education is not compulsory in schools. My son brought a letter home last week saying he could be excused from this if I had objections. It obviously must be made mandatory, but perhaps should not be taught by teachers, but by other young people who they can relate to and ask questions.
Reducing teen pregnancies can be achieved, North Yorkshire managed a staggering 30% reduction by improving access to information and giving free contraception at pharmacies. If they can do it, why can’t other authorities?
The Government should be campaigning hard in teen mags and websites, on cinemas and TV, they should be getting the message over to them in their own language. Providing generous benefits and council housing is no deterrent either.
Yes, Ellee, I agree that we have failed our teenagers.
I believe we should adopt the US model – “one mistake on the State”. The US will pay for one child on benefit but not subsequent children. This has led to a dramatic drop on the number of teenage pregnancies and welfare claimants. I fear this government would never adopt such a policy but it is something David Cameron’s policy groups should be looking at.
Janice, good point, I didn’t know about this. We are certainly too soft regarding benefits. If it has worked in the US, it is something we should look at here.
From someone who recently finsihed school sex education was a joke. The only time we did anything on it was in year 9 (age 13-14) where we put a condom on a banana and people put them on their head etc. It was never mentionned again.
The PSE (Personal and Social Education) lessons once a week always decended into chaos as the teacher was incompetent. Most people didn’t turn up and those that did usually did their own thing.
I agree with the thrust of your article; but the state support is the main cause here. Many countries across Europe have a much lower rate of teen pregnancy and even with the larger welfare systems there is less support for single mothers.
This sounds so harsh and the last time the Tories were in office we were skewered for it; but the principle is true. Look at the long-term sick statistics that have gone up so much since the benefit was increased.
Benefits need to be lowered, schools need to do a better job and family life promoted rather than scorned.(a disproportionate single mums come from care and broken families.
Sex is a subject that not many parents are willing to discuss with their teenagers and yet by doing so they could prevent many unhappy consequences of unprotected sex.
Can we really expect the schools to take on the responsibility of teaching our children such an intimate and personal subject? Although schools do teach them the basics, it is up to parents to make sure that their children have access to the information that they need.
If parents are too embarrassed to discuss this with their children they could give them the information and let them know that they are there for their teens if they have any questions. It’s probably more embarrassing for the teens than it is for the parents!
Prevention is better than cure, all teenagers deserve to be well-informed.
Lots of causes
1. Sexually inflammatory sex education for kids
2. State support for teen mums/tearaway teens
3. Immorale “morale of the story” media messages from the film Grease through Eastenders to music videos.
4. Peer pressure arising from all of the above.
I don’t believe that ignorance is the root cause. If anyone thinks that having an ongoing dialogue with youngsters about sex is a good idea I beg to differ.
I also question whether more sex education as the way forwards. I think sex education is necessary in the sense that facts must be taught, but I don’t see it as a solution to teenage unmarried pregnancies.
Better would be education of the consequencies of pregnancy, and I don’t mean a baby, I mean increased likelyhood of poverty, child abuse from a future “uncle”, and an ongoing cycle of criminality within subsequent generations.
Even this additional education might often go ignored if the nanny state is not reformed to stop actively encouraging and funding these pregnancies, and there is little sign that we will go down this route in the foreseeable future.
Why is abstinance not taught as it is in the US? Such groups as ‘The Silver Ring Thing’ there are very big, and encourage it to be cool to hold on to virginity.
Jean-Luc, you are absolutely right, but our culture no longer promotes these views, we are also perceived as a nation of binge-drinkers too.
We are a nation of binge drinkers. At least the young people are. I just got back from a 2 week holiday where you were frowed upon if you didn’t have at least two drinks in your hand.
Jean-Luc abstinance is not taught because it would fail. Anyone wearing the silver ring would be bullied and/or laughed at.
Do you remember the blue bracelet things to stop bullying (done by Radio1)? Anyone who wore one then proceded to get bullied….
Political Teenager, I asked my 13-year-old son about his sex education classes at school and he told me he didn’t listen, he found it boring, too much talking (no fruit used as models!). That’s why I think this would be better taught in a more informal environment in schools rather than a classroom by a young person who could relate to them rather than a teacher who is just talking to a brick wall – but has met the Nat Curriculem, though failing to press the right buttons with his/her class.
Janice Small, thank you for that interesting comment. I think that is a good policy, and, as Ellee says, one we should think about.
Looking at this from America, it had been my understanding that European ‘native’ populations are not reproducing at a replacement rate; that only non-European populations (particularly Muslim) are expanding. What the invading Arab armies could not accomplish in the 700’s, or later, what the invading Turks could not accomplish in the 1600’s, seems to be happening demographically — not force of arms, but babes in arms.
Clearly, teen pregnancies, even in “affluent” areas, are not desireable per se, but is this trend keeping European populations in England at a replacement level?
As for Sex Ed, if it only teaches mechanics — not morals — it won’t work. You and I may understand the economic downside of brining a child into the world without two educated, attentive parents — but only clear concepts of right and wrong — fear, guilt, shame — a sense of sin — will keep healthy young people from experimenting, with predictable results. Is post-Christian, secular Europe capable of distinguishing right from wrong?
Curmudgeon, I agree, but morals are very subjective and this is an unknown word for many people. If it doesn’t exist in the home, how can the right message be given to kids?
Flicking through some teen websites and magazines shows there is a degree of ignorance regarding sex, as well as peer pressure, kids probably learn more about it from their friends in the playground than anywhere else.
Hi I fully agree with you ,they need a lot more help then is given
Thanks for the info
Wish you well