Did you hear or read this news story late last night about the 14 year old middle school student who delivered a stillborn baby on an airplane and left it in the bathroom? She has told police that she didn't know she was pregnant?
Oh, that that was the beginning of an April Fool's joke.
How is it possible in today's world that a 14 year old could be pregnant and not know? How is it possible that the adults around didn't notice anything different about her?
Unfortunately, the possible answers seem clear. I'm willing to bet that she had had no sexuality education -- at her school, at her faith community, or much in her home. I'm willing to bet that her parents didn't talk with her about sexual decision making and that she had hidden the sexual relationship with the baby's father. Based on the research about pregnancies in girls 14 and younger, I'm guessing that the father was much older, that they didn't use contraception, and that she didn't have many adults in her life that she could turn to for help and assistance.
And I am pretty certain she woke up this morning scared and confused...and feeling alone.
My heart goes out to this young woman -- and suggests that rather than concentrate on how to penalize her, the folks in Houston examine how they failed her...and other young people. And that those of us in other places ask ourselves are we doing all we can to educate young people and provide support to them so these tragedies don't happen.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Well, if she was from Texas, she's been subjected to abstinence only indoctrination, and you know they don't bother to cover the signs and symptoms of pregnancy since you're not supposed to be having sex. It doesn't surprise me at all that a 14 year old wouldn't realize that she was pregnant, quite honestly.
Post a Comment