11 year old pregnant

[mantis]

The difference is between 'physically capable' and 'ready to raise children', I think. Lots of people are physically able to do things that have implications they are not ready to deal with.

very true
i'd imagine at 11 they're physically capable of giving birth, but that will probably stop the growth of the mother herself, because technically she's a kid too.

 

[Flatlander]

Though the details of this are pretty unfortunate, I'm not sure I agree with the 15 year old father being prosecuted for his role in the issue.
According to Scottish Law, the act is considered criminal as defined by "any person who". What bunk. How is a 15 year old boy to be held criminally responsible for his part, and not the girl? The fact is, both are under the age of consent. According to the article, he's being prosecuted because of her age only.

 

[MJS]

My god...it is NEVER okay for someone *this* young to become a parent. This girl is still a child herself - and now she's going to try to raise a baby? Where are her parents? Does she have the family support that she's DEFINITELY going to need? Raising a child is a HUGE responsibility that changes one's life forever. This poor girl really isn't going to have much of a childhood if she keeps her baby.

The article says that the girl's 34-year-old mother is "proud" of her daughter for wanting to keep the baby. Does this mean the girl's mother thinks that her behavior was "okay"? And this girl is smoking 20 cigarettes a day. Does she know how bad that is for the baby? And why on God's green earth is she smoking to begin with?!

I think it says alot about today's society, if children smoking, drinking, having children, etc. is practically "acceptable" behavior. I am especially alarmed about the growing number of preteen/teen parents. Most all of the single mothers I've worked with started having children during their teen years. Many of these single mothers didn't finish high school, and are stuck in minimum wage jobs, if they are working at all. And many of their children also wind up having problems at school, drop out - and further perpetuate the cycle. Don't get me wrong; some of these single mothers *do* succeed and make a better life for themselves. But unfortunately, the odds are usually stacked against them - especially if they lack a proper education.

I have to wonder if this girls mother, who is so proud of her daughter, is also going to help her daughter support and raise this child! I don't know too many places of business that are going to employ an 11 yo. Like you said above, this child may very well drop out of school, and end up working a minimum wage job. People like this always amaze me. They think its a great thing, at the time, but I highly doubt they're taking into consideration that without an education, they're probably not going to get too far in life.

 

[MJS]

well she's obviously very ready!
but that's not my point
my point is what decides if im 17 it's wrong to be pregnant, but the day after my 18th bday it becomes alright.
my point is the society is not strict enough in identifying what's wrong and what's right. that's why over time what's wrong becomes right.
im told im a devil's advocate when raising this "stupid" question. well i think who illegalizes this for the 11 year old and allows it for the 18 is the one, not me.
maybe this is a healthy thing in a society, or maybe not.

just for the record, im not defending that or anything. i personally think wrong is not enough a word to describe it, but that's my personal view of the matter

just a question
what makes it wrong for 11 year old
and makes it right or at least okay for 18, or even 32?

What people don't take into consideration is, "Are they going to be able to support the child?" That is the most important question of all, but the one thats overlooked! Is it ok for the 18yo? Well, did the 18yo finish school? Did the 18 yo get a job making more than minimum wage? The list can go on and on, but the bottom line is, is that I, nor anyone else, should have to support this child just because the 11 yo thought she was ready.

Mike

 

[Henderson]

It is the welfare of the child (both mother & newborn) that matters most. We can debate the issue til we are blue in the face, but it means nothing. The fact that another human being will need to be cared for, fed, clothed, and loved is most important.

While it is tragic that a baby is having a baby, the simple fact is that it is done. Personally, I am grateful that my daughters are still a few years from this potential circumstance and be a bit more thankful myself.

Respectfully.....