In This Article
Subscribe to Health Updates
Teens in Gloucester Make Pact to Get Pregnant
June 23, 2008 03:56 PM
by
Rachel Balik
A group of teens at Gloucester High School decided to get pregnant and raise babies together, baffling school officials.
30-Second Summary
At Gloucester High School in Gloucester, Massachusetts, 17 teenage girls are pregnant, and the school principal says that the surge is a result of a group pact to get pregnant. Teachers and supervisors don’t understand why the girls would want to get pregnant so desperately, and the school was appalled when it learned that one baby was fathered by a 24-year-old homeless man. A student at the high school who had a baby last year says that girls frequently commented on how lucky she was and thinks that her peers want to get pregnant because “They're so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally.”
Some experts blame bad values; Reverend Eugene Rivers told the Boston affiliate of CBS that the girls did what they did because society at large had abandoned the idea of “shame.” Others, such as the gossip blog Perez Hilton, say that movies and movie stars glorify teen pregnancy. The solution: “Someone needs to do an anti-Juno flick…fast!”
But the CBS Evening News blamed the poor economy. Correspondent Michelle Miller said, “The once-thriving fishing community has seen jobs drift overseas. Economic depression has left many teens trying to fill the void.”
Unexpected pregnancies still account for a large number of births in the United States, and psychologists speculate that some women may want to get pregnant as a means to a better life.
Some experts blame bad values; Reverend Eugene Rivers told the Boston affiliate of CBS that the girls did what they did because society at large had abandoned the idea of “shame.” Others, such as the gossip blog Perez Hilton, say that movies and movie stars glorify teen pregnancy. The solution: “Someone needs to do an anti-Juno flick…fast!”
But the CBS Evening News blamed the poor economy. Correspondent Michelle Miller said, “The once-thriving fishing community has seen jobs drift overseas. Economic depression has left many teens trying to fill the void.”
Unexpected pregnancies still account for a large number of births in the United States, and psychologists speculate that some women may want to get pregnant as a means to a better life.
Headline Link: ‘Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High’
One teenager at Gloucester High School was so intent on getting pregnant that she chose a 24-year-old homeless man for her baby’s father. The girl was one of several who made a pact to get pregnant and raise the babies as a group, according to principal Joseph Sullivan. The school took note when the girls made repeated trips to the student health office and “some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Sullivan says. Teachers are baffled by the girls’ actions, but in an old fishing community with a plummeting economy, the girls don’t have much else available to them in the way of direction, says Superintendent Christopher Farmer. Student Amanda Ireland, who had a baby last year, says the girls frequently told her she was so lucky to have a child. She thinks they are confused. “I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 a.m.”
Source: Time magazine
Opinion and Analysis: Are societal values, pop culture or the economy to blame?
The Superintendent also noted that, “The common threat is the lack of self-esteem and purpose in life.” But Reverend Eugene Rivers told a local Massachusetts TV station that the problem is that the girls are growing up in a society that does not teach them to have shame. In a video interview, he said that although values in society are on the decline, the situation is not irreversible. “One hopes that there will be a pushback against the vulgarity that caused this tragedy.” he said.
Source: WBZTV.com
The gossip blog Perez Hilton has another recommendation, “Someone needs to do an anti-Juno flick … fast!” The blog suggests that pop culture is making teen pregnancy look cool, convincing teens that having a baby is a way to a happier life.
Source: Perez Hilton
The Evening News blamed Gloucester’s flailing economy for the surge in teen pregnancies. CBS correspondent Michelle Miller speculated, “The once-thriving fishing community has seen jobs drift overseas. Economic depression has left many teens trying to fill the void.” A pediatric psychiatrist suggested that pregnancy could make the girls feel “adult and independent.” But locals are less interested in what caused the pregnancies and more concerned over potential statutory rape charges.
Source: Business and Media Institute
Reaction: School Officials Say 'Pact' is Wrong Word
Superintendent Christopher Farmer said he first heard the term "pact" when reading the Time magazine article. "All we knew was that there was a small group of girls who were not disappointed in the idea of being pregnant. I had never heard of any kind of communal effort that girls were trying to get pregnant." A local mother suggested that if there was a pact, it "had been made after they were pregnant and was to stay in school and raise the babies together."
Source: Gloucester Daily Times
Related Link: Unexpected Pregnancies
Half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, despite the broad availability of birth control. A recent survey tried to determine what accounted for these statistics. It found that many women are careless with birth control or confused about how it works, but Psychology Today suggested that women may be getting pregnant in the hope of securing men they perceive to be good fathers and life partners.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference Link: Juno
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
