Pregnant girl in high school

Pregnant in Public School: Challenges and Options

Teen pregnancy is not a new issue, but schools and parents still struggle with the challenges surrounding this situation. While statistics show that teen mothers who graduate from high school now have a better shot at supporting themselves and their children, keeping them in school until graduation is often easier said than done. With some school districts across the country facing alarming statistics on the teen pregnancy front, the problem does seem to becoming more prevalent in some areas of the nation. Combine rising pregnancy rates with budget cuts that are forcing some schools for pregnant teens to shut their doors, and the problems facing pregnant teens seem to be getting bigger while the options are getting smaller. We will take a look at how some schools are dealing with their pregnant students today and the legal ramifications facing this issue.

What the Law Says

Many pregnant teens may find the prospect of attending school every day more challenging than they are willing to manage. Consider the morning sickness that makes is difficult for some girls to get to school in the morning, regular doctor visits that result in frequent absenteeism, and the fear of social stigmas, and you can see why some are hesitant to continue their education path in their current condition. However, in a legal guide titled, "Public Schools and Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents," it states, "The [North Carolina] state constitution guarantees a right to education and promises equal opportunities for all students in public schools," and this holds true in all of the states.

The report goes on to state, "By statute, every parent or 'other person having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven and sixteen" must send the child to school. A parent may be prosecuted for failing to do so. In addition, failing to send a child to school can be considered neglect."

Other states have similar laws, so it seems clear that students must continue to attend school until the age of 16, pregnant or not. But what happens after the age of 16? Many pregnant teens and teen mothers end up dropping out before graduation because earning a high school diploma and caring for a baby can be more than a little challenging to manage at the same time.

What Really Happens

Despite what state constitutions promise, the path become difficult, and many girls end up dropping out. They try to find work that will support themselves and their babies, but without a high school diploma, good jobs are hard to find. Many end up on welfare and food stamps – a difficult cycle to break away from once they hit that point.

It's not only the girls that have difficulty mixing school and parenthood. Many schools have also been less than hesitant to keep girls in school once their pregnancies become evident. In fact, some downright discourage the girls from remaining in school, either by offering them alternative education options or by creating policies that make it very difficult for girls to succeed in classes while they are pregnant.

For example, some schools do not allow students to finish a semester if they have more than 10 unexcused absences during the period. However, these same schools often will not grant pregnant girls excused absences for maternity leave or other pregnancy and parenting-related obligations.

Is Pregnancy Contagious?

In some cases, schools are justified in their concerns about allowing pregnant teens to remain in schools. According to a report in Time three years ago, Gloucester High School in Virginia was seeing an alarming number of girls requesting pregnancy tests. Upon further investigation, it was found that many of the pregnant girls had formed a "pregnancy pact" to ensure all of them had babies at the same time. Economic factors may play a role in this choice, since the industrial town where the college is located has suffered a big hit from the recent economic slowdown. With many students facing rather dismal futures, pregnancy may seem like one of the best options.

At Frayser high school in Memphis, similarly high number of teen pregnancies abound, with as many as 11 percent of the student population expecting. According to a report at the New York Daily News, socio-economic factors may also play in a role in the high pregnancy figures at this location. Frayser is considered a title one school, which means at least 95 percent of students are eligible for free lunches and more than 100 students drop out between 11^th and 12^th grade.

Special Schools

In some states, special schools are available for pregnant students. A report at Christian Science Monitor describes how one of these schools in Boise was instrumental in helping a certain teen mother stay in school. Alicia Mattocks credits Marian Pritchett School with allowing her to get her high school diploma and enroll in Boise State University. However, funding cuts have resulted in many of these schools getting closed down around the country.

Helping or Condoning?

One of the issues facing schools that want to support pregnant teens is the attitude that assistance is condoning their pregnancies. While schools want to see these students succeed, they don't want to send the message to other students that pregnancy in the teen years is a good choice. An article on FindLaw summarizes the philosophy, "Helping her [a pregnant student] return to her studies might send the message that staying in school is the right thing to do, regardless of what your circumstances are. It is a sad reality that so many teenagers are pregnant. Denying that reality is unlikely to prove the most promising approach to changing it."

Hopefully, more options and assistance programs are back on the horizon in the future to help pregnant students continue on the path of academic success.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus

Teen Moms : ABC Course Keeps Pregnant Girls in High School

Like other teen-agers, 16-year-old Veronica Licon is worried about her weight. She also worries about stretch marks.

A 10th-grader, Veronica is pregnant, one of 70 pregnant girls and young mothers in an ABC Unified School District program that for 16 years has been helping teen-age mothers finish high school and become competent parents.

Veronica, whose baby is due in June, is new to the Teen Mother program, housed on the campus of Tracy High School in Cerritos. As a newcomer, Veronica has been assigned a “buddy,” Gina Gutierrez, to ease her entry into the group.

Gina, 18, whose baby is imminent, stays close to Veronica as the new girl studies and chats with the others. When the newcomer takes the cheese out of a sandwich she is about to bite, Gina is on her like a hawk.

“Eat the cheese,” Gina tells her. Veronica resists. “I don’t want to gain, I don’t want stretch marks. ” But Gina is adamant. “It’s good for your baby. It contains calcium for strong bones and teeth.”

As program founder Jeanne Lindsay says, “We teachers could all leave and the most important part of the program would still be there--the support the girls give each other.” Lindsay left her teaching job earlier this year to run a small press that specializes in books about teen parenting.

About half the girls in the ABC program have transferred from other schools, all but a few from schools in the district. Legally, they could remain in their own high schools or junior highs while waiting for their babies to be born. But most say they prefer being with other pregnant teen-agers or new mothers in a program designed especially for them. Over the years, the program has enrolled more than 1,000 pregnant girls and new mothers between the ages of 12 and 20. Girls can remain in the program for a semester after they give birth.

Many girls opt for the program because they do not want to put up with nasty remarks from their nonpregnant peers. “We won’t call you a slut because you’re pregnant,” said Sherry Burns, 18. Sherry, who is the mother of 5-month-old Brandon, plans to return to Artesia High School at the end of the current semester.

Nationwide, the majority of girls who have babies before age 18 never finish high school. According to recent figures published by the Children’s Defense Fund, a national child advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., about 55% of white teen mothers fail to graduate. Black teen mothers do better; about two-thirds eventually get diplomas. But only 27% of Latino girls who become pregnant in their teens finish high school.

According to Lindsay, two-thirds of the girls in the Teen Mother program graduate. The program also brings a surprisingly large number of dropouts back to school. Almost 20% of the participants had dropped out of school before they became pregnant. “Pregnancy seems to give these girls a reason to go back to school and work toward obtaining a high school diploma and job-entry skills,” Lindsay said.

One such returnee is Sandra Lauro, 16. Sandra quit school in the 10th grade. She returned when she was expecting Paulina, now 2 1/2 months old. “Once I got pregnant, I decided to come back,” she recalled. “What could I do for my baby without an education?” Sandra plans to study cosmetology at Cerritos Community College after she gets her diploma.

On a typical day, the Teen Mother program looks like a cross between an obstetrician’s office and a progressive school for girls.

Adolescents bend awkwardly over math and history books. The girls vary widely in age, socioeconomic background and academic ability. The babies of most of the new mothers in the group are being cared for at the nearby Tracy Infant Center, a day care facility for the infants of school-age mothers in the district, or elsewhere. But there are always a few newborns in the classroom, sleeping next to their mothers or cradled in their laps. Girls walk into the mini-kitchen to help themselves to milk, pizza bagels or other healthy snacks from the refrigerator. While the girls themselves admit they love junk food, good nutrition is a priority of the program.

The Tracy Infant Center is a major draw for participants. Girls whose babies are enrolled in the center can keep them there until the child is 2 1/2 years old if the mother remains in school and even after she graduates if she attends college or has a job. Transportation is another plus of the program. A special van will pick up students and their babies at their doors each morning and drop them off after school.

As teacher Pat Alviso explains, the program has been tailored to the very specific needs of teen-age mothers and mothers-to-be. In gym class, instead of playing volleyball or other sports, the pregnant students earn their physical education credit doing stretches and other prenatal exercises and learning how to breathe when they go into labor. They earn science credit while studying fetal development and the physiology of pregnancy.

Health Lessons Given

In addition to whatever academic courses the girls need for graduation, the program also includes lessons on prenatal health, parenting and the options that are open to pregnant teen-agers, including abortion and adoption. Alviso tries to visit each potential participant at home before she joins the program.

“Do you know you don’t have to stay pregnant?” Alviso asks, referring girls who want to learn more about abortion to Planned Parenthood. She also raises the possibility of adoption. “Do you know you can release your baby?” she asks, careful to avoid the phrase “give up your baby,” with its implication of abandonment.

Almost all the girls choose to keep their babies. Many are Roman Catholic and do not believe in abortion. “I wished it would disappear but I wouldn’t kill it myself,” one girl in the program said of her unborn child. Although the staff makes sure the girls are informed about the possibility, adoptions are rare, in part, the staff says, because the girls see their peers coping relatively well with their new babies. “She seems happy,” one pregnant girl said of one of the new mothers in the program.

Over the years, only 30 to 40 girls have released their babies for adoption, Lindsay said. In the current group, one girl is considering adoption.

Proud of Photos

Between lessons, the program’s new mothers produce photos of their babies at the slightest provocation. Pregnant girls show each other the blurry images generated during ultrasound examinations of their unborn offspring. “My fetus is cuter than yours,” Jennifer Zampa, 17, teased classmate Debbie Williams, also 17.

Over and over again, the young women say the best thing about the program is being part of a community of others like themselves, morning sickness and all. “I like the people who come here,” said Velvet Tosta, 16, the mother of 8-month-old Dezarie. “I can talk to them. They have the same problems I do.”

Everybody connected with the program understands, for example, that fatigue is a common side effect of pregnancy. As a result, most of the pregnant girls do not start school until 9:30 a.m. Nobody is surprised by how often the bathroom is in use.

“I don’t think I could have done it alone,” Gina said. “There are so many other people here who are in the same situation.”

Nicola Frazier, 16, who will deliver in a few weeks, agreed. “When you see somebody sitting in the corner crying,” Nicola said, “you know why.”

Advise One Another

The girls regularly turn to each other and the staff for advice as they deal with the unfamiliar world of having and raising babies. They chide each other for smoking, using drugs or other practices that might hurt their unborn babies.

They discuss problems that most teen-agers never have to think about: whether they will be thin enough after their babies are born to look pretty in their prom dresses and strategies to keep their own mothers from taking over the raising of their children. The larger ones advise the smaller ones to use a shoelace to fasten jeans that can no longer be zipped up.

The unmarried mothers can discuss concerns such as what to tell their children about absent fathers. “Why make a kid feel like his father was a louse?” Lindsay recalled being told by one young mother. “If his dad’s a louse, that makes him half-louse.” Instead, she told her son, “Your father wasn’t as lucky as I am--he didn’t get to live with you.”

Although the married students seem a little more confident than the others, Lindsay has special concerns about them. Married teen-age mothers are more likely than their unmarried peers to have a second child in the near future, she points out. They are also more likely to drop out of school.

According to Lindsay, the program has had many successes. Several alumnae have gone on to college. One is now an accountant. More often, Lindsay said, former students send evidence, often in the form of notes on Christmas cards, that they have healthy “coping families.”

Most Have No Regrets

Almost to a girl the young mothers now in the program say they have no regrets. But occasionally one of the pregnant girls speaks wistfully about ordinary adolescence, something they no longer have. Therese Albert, 15, is only 4 months pregnant and her unborn child is not yet a tangible consolation for all an untimely pregnancy has cost her. Therese recalls how bad she felt when her pregnancy kept her from trying out for a dance group at her old junior high. She admits she is envious of the nonpregnant girls she sees at the mall “in their little clothes.”

“I wish it had never happened, but there’s nothing I can do about it now,” Therese said.

Many of the girls say they wish they had known more about contraception at an earlier age. “I was 3 months pregnant when my mother told me about birth control,” one youngster recalled. “If she had told me before, I wouldn’t have become pregnant.”

Teacher Alviso said that about 10% of the program’s current students are headed toward college. Sherry wants to be an architect. Shanne Crawford, 17, whose baby is due in 3 weeks, wants to go to law school. Shanne, who says she has no plans to marry, hopes to go to Harvard, like her brother--"with her baby in her backpack,” a classmate notes.

Like many of the other young women in the program, Shanne chooses to see the child she is about to have as an incentive, not a setback. She intends to succeed, she said, “because I want my baby to have everything. “

Teenage pregnancy in high school, 1971

Many parents of teenage girls are very afraid that their daughters will become pregnant while still in school. We raised this topic in a friendly conversation, and it turned out that opinions about the sexual education of children were sharply divided.
Someone from quite modern people in all seriousness believes that it is better to keep children away from this knowledge! Do not let them watch movies, check what they are reading, this is so that “unhealthy gravity” does not arise.

Well, and so on. Oh my God! You can, of course, grow a dense person - for a while, but what will it result in?
People have already been through this. Here is a small selection of photos.

By the 1970s, teenage pregnancy was a worldwide problem.
She had a profound and bad effect on the lives of girls and their children.

Demographic studies have shown that in developed countries such as the United States, teenage pregnancy results in lower levels of education, higher levels of poverty, and worse "life outcomes" for children of teenage mothers compared to children of young adult women. nine0007

Photographs of the everyday life of expectant mothers in a typical Southern California town of Azusa in 1971. This article was published in Life magazine, and on the cover was the title: "Helping High School Mothers."

“Here we see that the class is calm about the pregnant girl.
But a few years ago, public schools excluded girls.
Many humiliated families arranged secret and illegal abortions for their daughters.
Others sent them to "visit relatives" or, if they could afford it, hid them in private nursing homes. nine0007

“Today the attitude towards school mothers is changing dramatically. Medical clinics and consultations are being provided for new mothers, who will be about 200,000 this year. ”

“At the same time, there are still not enough programs in the country.
A recent study found that 75 percent of pregnant teenagers drop out of school.
But more and more girls are making difficult decisions to stay in school for their own good and for the future of their children.”

Letters to the editor published in Life magazine in response to the article were mostly negative:
“The April 2 cover establishes a new dimension of achievement in crude, gaudy, inelegant journalistic bad taste.
Offering a picture of this pathetic schoolgirl with her grotesque pregnant figure in place of the bold type "Pregnancy in high school" is an outrage."

The eternal principle: “Your own fool is to blame” and get out – flourished all over the world.

And how was it with us? With someone studied pregnant 13-year-old girls?
I was told that they were expelled without talking, some parents transferred them to night school, and former classmates pointed fingers at them when they met. nine0007

In general, the prosecution of child molestation is a boon that cannot be overestimated.

Madonna del Parto, Piero Della Francesca, after 1457
The virgin is shown pregnant

Tags: gender education, gender roles

Pregnancy of a minor from practice. Arina, 16 years old. pregnancy discovered mother, when she asked her daughter why the pads do not decrease, and Arina replied that She hasn't had her period for a long time. Arina had two sexual intercourses with her friend. On By the time the pregnancy was established, they had already separated. Mother took Arina to abortion, but it turned out that the period was already 5 months, it was too late to have an abortion. Them offered to induce artificial labor, but the doctor explained the danger of such procedures for the health and life of a girl. Mom refused it and decided keep the pregnancy. Arina completely followed the opinion and words of the mother. The girl looked lost She was in a state of shock, most of the time she was silent.

child's father and his parents refused to participate in the fate of the child. nine0007

there was a violation of Arina's contact with her peers. Friends went to discos, talked about boys, dressed up, and the girl was with them no longer interested. Arina tried to read about pregnancy, childbirth, children, but She had no opportunity to discuss this with anyone except her mother. By childbirth, the girl is already practically did not communicate with her friends, she was more alone, she said that together became completely uninteresting. nine0007

The second problem area was her attitude to childbirth. The girl was very afraid of them, but at the same time refused to go to training courses to childbirth at female consultation. This was probably due to the general motherhood resistance. After the birth of the child, this was expressed in a rapid the disappearance of milk and the transfer of the daughter to artificial nutrition.

with a lack of understanding of the needs of the child. Arina at first led quite aloofly herself with the child, her tension was felt when she took her daughter in her arms. The girl spoke little to her, was embarrassed to do this in front of strangers. It's hard for her I had to understand how you can communicate with a child who does not yet speak. Arina's mother assumed the main function of interaction with the child, and the girl tried to repeat what her mother does. nine0007

Case from practice. Anastasia, 16 years old. Young woman got pregnant while vacationing at a children's camp. Parents were in shock a real scandal broke out, my father had a heart attack. But Nastya clearly stated that she would give birth. On the side of the girl was her eldest nineteen-year-old sister Marina. The girls together reassured their parents, convinced them to have a baby. Nastya was in a euphoric, enthusiastic condition. Went to childbirth preparation courses at the antenatal clinic, in on the Internet on various forums I communicated with other pregnant women and young mothers, transferred to school at home schooling, began to prepare things for newborn, choose a name. The birth was easy. The girl was breastfeeding constantly talking and playing with the child. Easily and joyfully interacted with daughter. The girl kept contacts with her friends, many of them came sit with the baby, bring gifts. nine0007

Nastya after the birth of a child, many new friends appeared - young mothers. The girl builds educational plans. She decided to become a hairdresser, she is already moonlighting, doing simple haircuts and hairstyles at home. The girl does not think

that the child can be a barrier to privacy. When my daughter was six months old, she dating a young man, the relationship has been going on for 8 months.

Generalization: As can be seen from these two cases, a lot depends on the personality maturity of the girl, her psychological characteristics and awareness of motherhood. Arina was quiet, closed, little contact girl, for whom adaptation to motherhood turned out to be a complex and lengthy process. Nastya, on the contrary, gladly accepted the role of mother as a new and colorful stage in her life, strongly and confidently defended her decision to give birth to a child, actively builds and implements plans for future. However, certain features can be identified specifically for this age group of pregnant women. nine0007

Problematic zones of this age group:

1. Certain physiological and psychological unpreparedness for the birth and upbringing of a child.

Psychological research data show about the distorted formation of the maternal sphere, unformed motivation motherhood and infantile attitude to pregnancy in adolescent girls, expecting a child. They are more susceptible to pressure in their decision making. family and social environment. For example, Galin A.P. examined

80 underage girls who terminated pregnancy. During the anonymous When questioning a girl, the most common reason for an abortion was: negative attitude towards the pregnancy of relatives, the desire not to burden one's own personal life, lack of conditions for raising a child, desire to continue study, work. When asked what the girl would do if these obstacles were removed, 60% answered that they would keep the pregnancy, and 40%, that they would still have an abortion. It can be assumed that these 40% belong to group psychologically unprepared for motherhood, and the remaining 60% were under the influence of the social environment. nine0007

2. As a rule, the absence of a husband, or, if he is the same age, his unwillingness to create complete family.

Often the father of the child is also a minor, therefore, cannot provide support to the pregnant woman, disclaiming responsibility for pregnancy. But there is evidence of what is being said about minors. fathers is not entirely correct. A number of studies have shown that young girls in the majority cases conceive children from young adults. For example, Galin A.P. on a sample of teenage girls showed that their sexual partners were 3-4 years older, their mean age was 21.7+/-0.9of the year. At the main motives for the beginning of sexual activity were "falling in love, love" - 66%; "curiosity and interest" -35%; violence in one form or another - 14% of cases. Girls began sexual activity at an average age of 15.0+/-0.2 years, and their gynecological age (the number of years a person has sexual contacts) at the time of abortion - about 5 years.

Terms "molestation" and "age of consent". In this state of affairs, it is important there is a question about the legality of the existing sexual relations, due to which the girl became pregnant. nine0007

Corruption (art. 134, 135 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) - involvement of a minor (underage) in committing actions of a sexual nature. Without the use of physical or mental violence. Sexual molestation is usually understood as being committed by an adult. purposeful actions that cause the child to have an untimely increased interest in sexuality, sexual fantasies, sensations, desires, and sexual activity with a child (including sexual intercourse in one or another form) without the use of violence, using curiosity and inexperience child. Both articles dealt with sexual acts against juveniles committed without the use of violence, otherwise they qualify as rape or sexual assault. character

and punished in accordance with the relevant articles.

Age sexual consent. Debating in jurisprudence the question is, at what age can sexual intercourse be considered acceptable? intercourse with the voluntary consent of the partner. Of course, this age cannot be greater than the age of majority, but in most cases it set at a lower level. In many countries of the world, age consent less than 16 years. nine0007

In Germany, China, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Austria, Italy, Chile - 14 years; in Argentina, Spain, Japan and South Korea - 13 years. In Russia, the age of consent is 16 years (the law of 2003).

Additions to the Criminal and Family Codes of the Russian Federation. In most laws, the age of marriage is higher than the age of sexual consent. In the Russian Federation, according to part 1 of Art. 13 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation, The marriageable age is set at 18 (and the age of sexual consent is set at 16 years). In addition, the Family Code in Parts 2 and 3 of Art. 13 provides the possibility of reducing the age of marriage to 16 years at the request of persons wishing to get married, if there are good reasons by decision of the local government at the place of residence of persons; and in exceptional circumstances and in cases provided for by the laws of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, marriage may be permitted upon reaching the age of 14 years. nine0007

In the event that the marital relationship consists of persons, one of which has reached the age of 18, and the other has not reached the age of sexual consent, then sexual intercourse between them is not a crime, but this the norm applies only to sexual contacts after marriage, that is, even after the registration of the marriage, the senior partner may be involved in responsibility for sexual intercourse committed up to this point. July 27, 2009 year, amendments were made to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, according to which a person brought to justice for the first time for sexual intercourse with the victim (or victim), who has reached the age of 14, but has not reached the age of 16, may be released from punishment in connection with marriage to the victim or victim. nine0007

Pregnancy of a minor may result in angry state of parents who want to take out their anger on their father child and punish him

for pregnancy through criminal prosecution. Threat to plant child's father behind bars in the event of the birth of a child can be used adults to put pressure on a young girl to force her to have an abortion. And herself a teenager may not know the true picture of things and succumb to provocation. AT In other situations, there may be a real need to involve responsibility of an adult man who seduced a girl, but does not want to take take responsibility for the consequences. nine0007

Returning to the relationship with the child's father, then the statistics of the reaction to the news about pregnancy in the group of young mothers are not particularly different from other age groups.

So, for example, Prokhorova O.V. and Russian S.V. examined 98 young pregnant women in age from 14 to 18 years to study the characteristics of the reactions of the father of the child to the first news of a pregnancy: only 13. 3% of future women experienced joy fathers. Calmness and some restraint showed a quarter of partners of young women - 25.5%. The proportion of men who continued relationships with patients and trying to persuade them to have a medical abortion, amounted to 33.7% of cases. extreme degree negative attitude towards pregnancy was manifested in the fact that future fathers ceased any kind of relationship with their partners, which was noted in 23.5%; in 4.1% of cases, the girls themselves, after realizing the fact of the onset pregnancies, were the initiators of breaking up relationships with their partners. nine0007

3. Dependence in decision-making on parents.

independently decide whether to have an abortion or to keep the pregnancy without informing this parents. But if everything is quite simple with an abortion, she did it secretly and everything then with the birth of a child - much more difficult. As a rule, a young girl lives with parents, is fully supported by them. Therefore, decide on Preserving a child without parental support is almost impossible. girl you need to dress, feed the child. In most cases, she will live with newborns from parents. Therefore, their consent or disagreement to the birth the child is often critical. Because of this aspect of the situation, young girls often choose to have an abortion just to avoid talking to their parents. Fear of their reaction can outweigh all other arguments of the mind and heart. nine0007

4. Strong emotional reaction of the family to pregnancy news.

A woman of any age may experience negative attitude towards their pregnancy on the part of relatives, but in a young age - this reaction is especially bright and has its own specifics. For parents underage pregnant women are often characterized by: a sense of guilt that they did not save, they didn't look after their daughter; denial - do not notice obvious signs for a long time pregnancy; sense of increased responsibility for the decision trust their daughter in deciding the outcome of the pregnancy). nine0007

Fragment of social advertising for parents (Kristina Pavlova). Here is an excerpt from a brochure for parents (PSA), which very accurately reflects the emotional background in the family with the news about pregnancy of a minor girl:

For young, unmarried girls - especially for adolescents living at home - almost always the strongest is the desire to hide pregnancy from parents, this desire leads hundreds of girls to abortion every day: “My mom is going to go crazy!”, “Father will kill me!”, “It will break their hearts - they shouldn't know about it." Think about it: minors can do abortion, and the parents won't even know about it. Your teenage daughter can decide pregnancy problem without your participation. Of course, find out that your daughter became pregnant under not the most beautiful circumstances, is test, one of many in the life of parents. In fact, your emotions can match her emotions: fear for her future, denial, guilt, etc. And besides, most likely you will feel anger, which can be expressed differently. You are angry with your daughter for her imprudence, for not listened to your advice, did not listen to good instructions, disobeyed you, etc. Are you angry at the man (or guy) who abused your trust and well-being of your daughter for your own pleasure. You angry at the whole culture that allows irresponsible sex to flood TV screens and rock music. Perhaps you are angry with yourself - in many ways reasons. Have you been too strict or too soft, too busy or too tired to be interested in her world for the last few months. And now, here's what happened...

Classic for you The Chinese character for "crisis" is of great importance in this situation. The hieroglyph consists of two others, meaning the words "danger" and "opportunity". The danger is that pregnancy can become a wound for your family to heal. which may take years. Abortion at a young age is especially dangerous subsequent infertility. By pushing her to have an abortion now, you can forever be without grandchildren. Threatening, cursing, scolding, you risk destroying love and trust between you and your child, and then in another difficult life period she simply will not come to you, because she will not believe in your help. The opportunity is that you can earn your daughter's respect to the end. life. You can help her grow up, learn to take responsibility for her deeds. You can help bring your loved one into the world grandson. nine0007

5. Social difficulties associated with the need to complete education and get a job.

Acting as a young mother in an industrialized country can influence its education. Teenage mothers are thought to be more likely to drop out of high school. Research found that many teenage mothers dropped out of school before how to become pregnant, and those of them who studied at school during their pregnancies, also often completed their schooling, like their peers. The need to complete education is one of the main reasons that called minors when choosing abortion. But most often behind this argument the deeper psychological motives of the girl or her relatives are hidden. If before she skipped school, had poor academic performance, then the fear of being left without education is connected primarily with past experience, and not with the present pregnancy. If the girl is good studies, then pregnancy will not reduce her abilities, it’s just that sometimes you need to choose other alternative form of education (free attendance, evening school and etc.). nine0007

6. They don't know their rights.

Minors are most often poorly informed about their legal rights, cannot assert their rights to the child.

7. High risk of infertility after abortion.

The pregnant woman should also be aware of the particular danger abortion at an age when the body is not fully formed, which may affect in future. The percentage of development of gynecological diseases is very high and secondary infertility after abortion in a minor. nine0007

8. Negative stereotypes from society.

Society as a whole is dominated by a negative attitude to underage pregnant women, they can be expressed in different labels, which people "hang" on the girl, even if this is not true: "she is a bad mother", "probably from a bad, drinking family", "her child will be unhappy, abandoned, difficult", "she is a walking, depraved." The strong emotions of the girl's relatives are often caused by fear of opinion. surrounding, in front of these negative stereotypes. nine0007

It is important to say that negative stereotypes in regarding underage pregnant women are of a sociocultural nature. On for many centuries, women married at 12, 13, 14 years old, and gave birth to children correspondingly also early. Here are just a few examples from history: The Queen England in the thirteenth century. Eleanor of Provence was 14, 16 and 17 years old when she gave birth her first three children with her husband, King Henry III of England: respectively the future King of England Edward I, Margaret of England and Beatrice of England. Mary of Bohun, first wife of King Henry IV of England, gave birth to her first child Edward at the age of 13 years. Lady Marguerite Beaufort aged 13 gave birth to her only child, who later became King Henry of England VII. These examples could go on and on. nine0007

Until the 20th century, a girl by the age of 15-16 was completely psychologically ready for marriage: she was trained to manage all cases according to household, according to her class, on the example of the younger children of the family was preparing to the birth and upbringing of their own children. From the age of 13, as a rule, they began negotiations of parents with the families of potential grooms about the possibility of matchmaking.

In the 20th century, the age limit for readiness to join in marriage and childbearing began to rise rapidly, and is now at the level completion of secondary education, i.e. 18 years. Under the age of 18, a teenager is practically has no chance to earn and provide for himself, but how As a result, we are financially dependent on our parents. Until legal age the teenager is under parental care, which does not allow him to take take full responsibility for your life. Moreover, in our society, even mere entry into the age of majority does not mean a psychological growing up of a young man, since he still continues to be on maintenance of parents. All this contributes to the prolongation of age. psychological infantilism, and slows down the maturation of a young girl for mother's role. nine0007

9. Often, judgment from an underage mother is transferred to the child. There are studies that emphasize the negative impact on development child of the fact of the minority of his mother. Figures have been received for a higher statistics of poor school performance, jail time for boys, and early sexual intercourse and childbirth for girls born to young mothers. There is evidence that teenage mothers are less likely to caress your children with touches, smiles or sounds, or being sensitive and attentive to the needs of the child. In society, one can observe the presence of sympathetic - a negative attitude towards a child born to a young mother. They pity him in advance and predict an unhappy difficult future. Often the argument that the child will feel flawed that his mother will not be able to properly educate him and as a result, when he grows up, he will not be able to achieve anything in life, is given by the parents of the pregnant woman and by herself to explain the abortion. Such cases, it is important to say that the upbringing of the child, the development of his spiritual world and subsequent success in life are determined not by the age of the mother, but by her desire to love and care for the child. You can give examples of mothers older people who leave their children, and 16 their mothers who do everything possible and impossible for their baby. nine0007

Known Teenage parents and their children: In 1917, 17-year-old Kamala Nehru gave birth to a daughter, Indira (later Prime Minister India). Ann Dunham got pregnant at 17 and at the age of 18, in 1961, she gave birth to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. Dwayne has Michael Carter Jr. famous rap artist known as "Lil' Wayne", daughter Regina was born by now ex-wife Antonia "Toya" Johnson when he was 15 and she was 14. The presence of a child did not prevent him from achieving huge popularity in the United States and earn a good fortune. nine0007

10. Increased risk of child abandonment after birth.

phenomenon, such as child abandonment, in young mothers is 2-3 times higher than this rate in older women. Researchers cite 2 main reasons such failure statistics:

a) Late detection of pregnancy and contacting a doctor. So those girls who wanted to have an abortion, forced to give birth. But, not wanting to take on the role of a mother, prefer to abandon the child. nine0007

b) Fear of disclosure of pregnancy before family. Such girls can keep pregnancy due to late diagnosis or because of pity for the child. In those cases when a girl feels sympathy and tenderness for a child and does not want to kill him, fear of the reaction of her parents deprives her of the strength to defend herself in front of them their right to motherhood. In such cases, most often there are violations the relationship of a girl with her own mother, when she stubbornly “does not notice” signs of pregnancy daughter. nine0007

c) Family pressure. If in previous types of situations, the girls hid the pregnancy from the family, in this case - relatives know about the pregnancy and it is they who force the girl to take this step.

In these situations, work with the social surrounded by a pregnant woman, because it is extremely difficult to cope without their support.

It is important to identify the level of "psychological maturity, adulthood" girls. Understand how she is personally ready to accept the role of a mother, at what stage of separation (separation) from her own mother she is. How “less” psychological age of the girl than she is more attached to her mother, emotionally dependent on receiving parental love and support, the more in making the decision and in the subsequent care of the child will be the role of her parents. nine0007

If the girl is “psychologically” mature enough, matured, then she can quite successfully cope with her motherhood. Here it is important to help her enter a new social circle, a group of young mothers. As, most likely she will move away from her peers due to the difference interests and life goals after the birth of a child. It is important for such a girl to help in obtaining knowledge about child care, the developmental features of the baby and his needs. Help with certain social issues: getting education, help with things for the child, etc. nine0007

If a girl is identified "psychologically" immature, who herself is still deeply dependent on her own parents and therefore is simply not capable of accepting motherhood at this age, then here deeper psychological work is required. If in the first case focus more on advising the girl herself, then here is a must work with the adult environment of the girl.

It is important to remember that, in general, pregnancy minor can stimulate the personal development of a woman through taking responsibility for the child.