Teens' Pregnancy Pact Shocks Mass. Town

Authorities Say High School Girls Planned To Have Babies As Part Of Secret Pact

(CBS)  It's news that has people talking in the sleepy fishing village of Gloucester, Massachusetts, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

"I think it's awful," one woman says. "They're kids having kids."

Seventeen girls at Gloucester High School not only got pregnant, but according to some, it was no accident.

"Pregnancy was the desired outcome," school superintendent Christopher Farmer says.

"So they did it on purpose?" Miller asks.

"That's what it sounds like, yes," Farmer says.

School officials discovered the pregnancy pact after some girls seemed disappointed that their pregnancy tests from the school nurse came back negative.

"They will have a baby as part of their life to give them status," Farmer says. "motherhood gives them status."

Status in Gloucester is hard to come by. The once thriving fishing community has seen jobs drift overseas. Economic depression has left many teens trying to fill the void.

"It sort of gives you the impression of being an adult, an independent. It may give you an opportunity for unconditional love and attention from the baby and also that you give to the baby," Dr. Elisabeth Guthrie, a pediatric psychiatrist, says.



According to the superintendent, all the girls were 16 or younger. Most of the fathers weren't in high school and at least one of them was a 24-year-old man.

Amanda Ireland, mother of 3-year-old Haley, just graduated from Gloucester High. She says she's tried to warn her peers about the tough road ahead.

"Don't, don't try to get pregnant," she says. "People say, 'I know what it's like because I have siblings.' But you really don't. No one knows until they actually go through it. And it's a lot of work."

School officials have their work cut for them. They are now considering a plan to provide birth control services in the high school next fall.

Their biggest challenge is how to change the mindset in some of the girls who come here.

[atlanta1962]

again the parents are to busy being against gay issues and supporting bush lies and war

[atlanta1962]

well the parents are to busy worried about gay issues and supporting bush war and lies

[sailorsteve4]

This story blows my mind. What''s wrong with these broads? where are their parents? even if they''re raised by tv, they could always watch the baby borrowers, lol.

[luvusa]

What has changed in this country since 1950?
Posted by txgrouch2004

A bj in the oval office.

[txgrouch2004]

Keithle1 sighed
Teenage girls...what can you do. No easy answers/solutions.
-----------------
Why? Do you think it''s ALWAYS been like this???

No, this is a problem that has never happened before. It used to be, the GIRLS said "No" to s e x.

What has changed in this country since 1950?

[luvusa]

Take God out of school and this is what happens.

[keithle1]

Teenage girls are victims of their biology. They''re silly & make impulsive decisions regarding s e x which will affect the rest of their lives. ***** teenage boys with permanent erections don''t care about them. They''re just s e x u a l playthings.
Real love is something they can''t comprehend. They can''t give the unconditional love that these teenage girls want.

So many girls live in a fantasy world of unrealistic expectations & crazy dreams. Convince themselves that boys love them. All the boy wants is a roll in the hay. She''ll be lucky if he remembers her name afterwards when he''s bragging about it to his buddies.

S e x is a means to an end for these girls. The end being pregnancy. Of course that''s the last thing the boy wants to be involved in.

Raising kids is a lot of work, money, heartache & disappointment. Not all fun & games. Costs a lot of money even for the basics. We''re not even talking about fancy private schools.

Teenage girls...what can you do. No easy answers/solutions.

[radman5000]

The truth is this all would have happened sooner if the football team hadnt been using steroids.

[txgrouch2004]

RCPasman lamented
They discovered ICE on MARS, but there was little to no mention of this story.
------------------
Try Google and Yahoo! news. They have a format that makes it easier to find the big stories.

[txgrouch2004]

RCPasman wrote
Wake up media! they are reflecting what you place value on.
---------------
Sometime between 1946 and today, our country became an open sewer.

During the 1960''s the Supreme Court declared religions expression to be a form of obscene behavior, because we were no longer permitted to do it in public places. So the 10 Commandments and prayer were banned from public schools.

The sewage has been getting deeper and deeper. Janet Jackson bared a breast on no-delay live TV (the reason for eliminating the delay was NEVER explained). The Hilton girl on TV decided to have an unwed teenage pregnancy, and SHE IS STILL ON TV.

The inevitable and PREDICTED result is now being shoved in our faces today.

The real problem is, the people like us who CARE about it are only a small handful. There''s nothing left to do but leave the evil city, and don''t look back or we''ll turn into a pillar of salt.

[dobbershome]

crazy bicchhees

[rcpasman]

Well, where to start! They discovered ICE on MARS, but there was little to no mention of this story. I''ve viewed countless stories on this topic, by a game show host who also is a "news" anchor. Why don''t girls want to be astronauts and scientists? Maybe because if they get knocked up someone will discuss it endlessly... Wake up media! they are reflecting what you place value on.

[txgrouch2004]

sidvicious99 suggested
Maybe they should invent remote controlled birth control. Give it to the dad.
-------------------
We used to have those. They were called "chaperones."

And if the chaperone didn''t stop the boy, the girl would. Girls used to know this word called "No."

Those things went out of style for some reason when the Baby Boomers started dating...

[barbaraf4]

"Maybe they should invent remote controlled birth control. Give it to the dad."Posted by sidvicious99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Women (of all ages) are responsible for contraception. Afterall, it is the woman who will be stuck with the outcome.

[barbaraf4]

"If this is the new trend I will gladly accept it and hopefully our parents and educators can help young women gain some self respect and understanding of who they really are." Posted by bonefixer2
~~~~~~~~~~~
If this is the new trend, then it is another way to step onto the slippery slope that will bring us to being a welfare nation. Most of these girls have no idea what this is about. I hope they all use natural childbirth and that it is so painful that they reconsider not only ever getting pregnant again but also ever having *** again.

Pregnancy in your teens limits everything you might ever achieve unless you give the child up for adoption.

[msay3]

STUPID...STUPID...STUPID

[denn034]

Why no talk of prosecuting the adults involved or even the underaged boys for statutory rape?

[luvusa]

Why is anyone surprised about this? It''s a sign of the times, "baby is the new black''. The kids of today have absolutely no morals, no respect for their bodies or life. When I was a young, if someone got pregnant they were sent away, it was shameful. Now a days a baby is just an accessory or it is sucked out of the womb...either way, it is despicable. And You on the left wonder why we christians pray.

[bonefixer2]

I agree this incident is a tragic result of poor judgement but... This is not a school shooting and lets be glad for that... If this is the new trend I will gladly accept it and hopefully our parents and educators can help young women gain some self respect and understanding of who they really are.

[kennedy7955]

I''m sorry but I just can''t keep from laughing. HAHAHAHLOLOLOLHAHAH...whooohoooohahahahah. First the story is hilarious, secondly, the comment about they were just trying to fill a void was precious. The comments about this being about hopelessness, gaining status, statutory rape, hohh my gosh. I think I''m laughing so hard I am about to cry...neither the girls in this story or those reporting it have a clue.