Teen Pregnancy Pact: Celeb Culture Cited
Psychologist Says It Has Role In Mindset; Teen Mom Advises Other Teens Not To Get Pregnant
-
Play CBS Video
Video
Teen Girls' Pregnancy Pact
Officials in the economically depressed village of Gloucester, Mass. believe a group of girls, all under the age of 16, made a secret pact to get pregnant at the same time. Michelle Miller reports.
-
Video
Teen Mom Talks Pregnancy
Amanda Ireland, a Gloucester, Mass. teen mother urges her peers against pregnancy; and psychologist Lisa Boesky tells Julie Chen about the social problems associated with teen pregnancy.
-
Photo
(AP)
Seventeen Gloucester High students are now pregnant, more than four times as many as at this time last year, and almost half admitted to school officials that they agreed to the pact, according to Time magazine.
School Superintendent Christopher Farmer told CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller the teens feel, "Motherhood gives them status."
"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, observed to Miller.
On The Early Show Friday, Dr. Lisa Boesky, a psychologist and author of "When to Worry: How to Tell If Your Teen Needs Help-And What to Do About It," told co-anchor Julie Chen, "We're facing a new area in teen pregnancy than we haven't before. ... What we've always known (is) teens who are surprised and shocked (at getting pregnant). Now, instead of unplanned teen pregnancies, what we're seeing in this town (Gloucester) is actually planned teen pregnancies. We used to be up against, kind of, 'It won't happen to me.' Now, these girls are saying, 'I hope it happens to me.'
"And I think a part of it is this celebrity culture. If you look at all the celebrity magazines, celebrity TV shows, you can't turn a page without seeing more and more celebrities getting pregnant."
The recent movies "Juno," which won an Oscar, and "Knocked Up," both deal with teen pregnancy and ”appear to take away the stigma," correspondent Miller says.
And, "Teenage pop idols getting pregnant before matrimony appears to have given their celebrity a boost," Miller points out.
Jamie Lynn Spears, 17, sister of Britney Spears, just gave birth to a girl.
But, notes Boesky, "There's no talk of how -- about raising the kids. The celebrities have nannies, they have assistants. There's no reality, there's no consequences. It looks like fun. And it fills a void for some of these teens."
Amanda Ireland, 18 and the mother of three-year-old Haley, just graduated from Gloucester High. She was living in another state when she got pregnant.
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."
Ireland told Chen Friday that her pregnancy was unintentional.
Of the students who are pregnant in Gloucester High now, Ireland speculated to Chen, "Maybe they felt lonely or something."
She agreed that Hollywood attaching glamour to teenage pregnancy may also have had something to do with the situation.
But Boesky warned, "All the research shows that (teenage pregnancy) is not good. They have a higher rate of dropping out of high school, they have a higher rate of low birth babies, they have a higher rate of premature babies. Kids of teen parents -- girls are more likely to be teen parents themselves, and boys twice as likely, if they're born to teen mothers, to end up in jail. So, it's not good for society, it's not good for these teens, and it's not good for the parents and grandparents who often have to raise these kids."
"Parents," Boesky continued, "are sending a very clear message -- 'Don't drink alcohol and don't do drugs,' but I don't think we're sending a clear message of, 'Don't get pregnant in your teenage years.' There's nothing wrong with saying, 'While you're in school, do not get pregnant.' Parents shouldn't be letting their girls date boys who are older than them, they shouldn't be letting their boys date girls who are younger than them, and parents have to stay involved."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



- 1
- 2
- next
See all 97 CommentsMy daughter incredulously told me about reading chat rumor on the INTERNET about this going on MONTHS ago where at least one group of girls somewhere unknown were "chatting about" deliberately trying to get pregnant with NO romantic or marriage intentions and planning to "live together" in a big house.
I suspect that the media glorification of such things.. Juno, knocked up, earlier "witches of Eastwick", the 15 year old in that Jesus Movie and on and on as well as all the "celebrity accessory" babies IS a HUGE part of it
- just like smoking, drinking and drugs were glorified in the past media with viewers of that garbage emulating THOSE celebs.
With the "encouragement" by our government through financial hardship for those working just one service job and tax breaks encouraging more kids and less at home care what ELSE do you expect!
- parents now have to work MORE or go without all the consumer incentives we''ve been brainwashed into believing are necessary.
Then top it off with "subsidizing" kids that are being shunted off onto schools, preschool, before and after school care programs, etc. is it any wonder that this would happen?
UNFORTUNATELY, at least around here there is SO MUCH underage pregnancy (WITHOUT pacts) that the Public Schools have opened DAYCARE CENTERS for the babies!!!
If the parents were reasonably attentive and monitor their underage children''s internet usage and television habits and also took the time to develop a respectful and decent relationship with them perhaps they would have caught on to this well before it happened. Maybe even prevented it from coming about.
If our school system actually focused on knowledge retention and application rather than temporary memorization and regurgitation perhapse these kids would know enough about life consequences and realities to know better than do something this ignorant.
The media glamorizes and focuses on that which we as a whole deem interesting. Maybe if we took a little better look at ourselves and reflected those opinions and attitudes in our children''s upbringing negative influence my not have as much of an impact as it does currently.
If the parents were reasonably attentive and monitor their underage children''s internet usage and television habits and also took the time to develop a respectful and decent relationship with them perhaps they would have caught on to this well before it happened. Maybe even prevented it from coming about.
If our school system actually focused on knowledge retention and application rather than temporary memorization and regurgitation perhapse these kids would know enough about life consequences and realities to know better than do something this ignorant.
The media glamorizes and focuses on that which we as a whole deem interesting. Maybe if we took a little better look at ourselves and reflected those opinions and attitudes in our children''s upbringing negative influence my not have as much of an impact as it does currently.
Secondly, Juno is a fairytale about what a girl learns after she becomes pregnant again accidentally. In the film she is shunned by many of her peers and she has major regrets about her actions. But she again takes responsibility for them. Just because she is a smart and likable character does not mean it brings glory to teen pregnancy in anyway.
Thirdly, why is it always celebrity culture that is blamed for a parent''s inability to raise their children properly. I know its the hardest job on earth but its not a job that requires any qualifications and many people just aren''t up to the task.
Secondly, Juno is a fairytale about what a girl learns after she becomes pregnant again accidentally. In the film she is shunned by many of her peers and she has major regrets about her actions. But she again takes responsibility for them. Just because she is a smart and likable character does not mean it brings glory to teen pregnancy in anyway.
Thirdly, why is it always celebrity culture that is blamed for a parent''s inability to raise their children properly. I know its the hardest job on earth but its not a job that requires any qualifications and many people just aren''t up to the task.
Secondly, Juno is a fairytale about what a girl learns after she becomes pregnant again accidentally. In the film she is shunned by many of her peers and she has major regrets about her actions. But she again takes responsibility for them. Just because she is a smart and likable character does not mean it brings glory to teen pregnancy in anyway.
Thirdly, why is it always celebrity culture that is blamed for a parent''s inability to raise their children properly. I know its the hardest job on earth but its not a job that requires any qualifications and many people just aren''t up to the task.
I also think saying ''Juno'' and celeb pregnancies playing a "HUGE part" is a bit ridiculous. This is just another freak case on a slow news day. If we want to solve teen pregnacies and stop school violence than lets put more funding into our education system instead of the current vast proportion of our taxes being spent in Iraq.
Secondly, Juno is a fairytale about what a girl learns after she becomes pregnant again accidentally. In the film she is shunned by many of her peers and she has major regrets about her actions. But she again takes responsibility for them. Just because she is a smart and likable character does not mean it brings glory to teen pregnancy in anyway.
Thirdly, why is it always celebrity culture that is blamed for a parent''s inability to raise their children properly. I know its the hardest job on earth but its not a job that requires any qualifications and many people just aren''t up to the task.
I guess my bottom line is if your child is making a teen pregnancy pact perhaps instead of blaming the music they listen to, the movies they watch, or the news that they see you could, and I know this will be a shocking idea, blame the kids who made the pact or maybe look in the mirror at yourself.
We have become a country of zero accountability and that has to end.
Jamie Lynn''s pregnancy did NOT give her celebrity a boost; her show had already been canceled (side note, I''m also angry that people are now reporting her show was canceled because of the pregnancy, which was not the case! When the news first broke all the articles made that very clear, now they''ve changed their tunes...but anyway) - no boost, she completely dropped off the radar until she had the baby yesterday.
If some celebrity culture did influence these girls, it''s because their lives were empty of healthier influences to counteract the celebrity media. It is a very sad commentary on the state of their home AND school lives if their closest role models truly were pregnant celebrities.
I still don''t think that is the case, I think it is another situation of people looking to place blame anywhere they can (as long as its not too close to home), and celebrities/media/music/video games/etc. are always easier targets than their own selves, systems, etc.
Jamie Lynn''s pregnancy did NOT give her celebrity a boost; her show had already been canceled (side note, I''m also angry that people are now reporting her show was canceled because of the pregnancy, which was not the case! When the news first broke all the articles made that very clear, now they''ve changed their tunes...but anyway) - no boost, she completely dropped off the radar until she had the baby yesterday.
If some celebrity culture did influence these girls, it''s because their lives were empty of healthier influences to counteract the celebrity media. It is a very sad commentary on the state of their home AND school lives if their closest role models truly were pregnant celebrities.
I still don''t think that is the case, I think it is another situation of people looking to place blame anywhere they can (as long as its not too close to home), and celebrities/media/music/video games/etc. are always easier targets than their own selves, systems, etc.
There also seems to be some misconception about the aforementioned films. The main character in Juno places her child up for adoption. Knocked Up deals with adults. Neither one glorifies unplanned pregnancies; anyone who asserts otherwise hasn''t obviously seen the films.
After-school programs and day care are not to blame here. Conspicuous consumption is not to blame.
This is about parents who failed their kids.
There also seems to be some misconception about the aforementioned films. The main character in Juno places her child up for adoption. Knocked Up deals with adults. Neither one glorifies unplanned pregnancies; anyone who asserts otherwise hasn''t obviously seen the films.
After-school programs and day care are not to blame here. Conspicuous consumption is not to blame.
This is about parents who failed their kids.
I''m guessing none of them had the ambition to go get a part time job while they''re in school - if they did they probably wouldn''t be doing anything THIS stupid. So again, even though we adults(especially parents) know how ridiculous this is from a long term economic standpoint, to the teenage mind, it makes perfect sense.
It doesn''t help that schools are now providing day care IN THE SCHOOL ITSELF, with your tax dollars no less.
Girls see all the (positive!) attention the new mothers get, plus all the help, and the whole thing doesn''t look so bad.
And PLEASE....whatever you do, don''t blame the Democrats or Republicans for this. They''re both at fault: The repulican philosphy of unbridled capitalism and self interest created the fear and greed culture we currently live in. The Democrats provide the in-school day care, welfare, and "tolerance" that helps remove the stigma of teen pregnancy which alos used to keep it to the minimum.
Do what I do: Blame both of them, and either vote for a third party, or vote for whichever of the two parties are currently NOT in office. At least show the current congress they will be out of a job in one election cycle unless they get their act together.
How many times in your daily life are you treated as nothing more than a number? It''s even worse in today''s public high schools I''m sure.
Having a baby gets these girls 1. A companion who at least in the beginning offers truly unconditional love. 2. Attention - much of it positive, but who cares - there''s no such thing as bad publicity, right? 3. Access to government assistance programs.
I realize number three sounds a bit ridiculous to any halfway intelligent adult, but consider it from the teen girls point of view: They don''t get much if any cash from their parents to spend. Then one day Maria gets pregnant and has a baby, and she gets a check every month for however many hundreds of dollars.
To a lot of teenagers, that sounds like a fair bit of money to get for nothing more than doing a little personal biology. remember these are teenagers, it''s extremely unlikely that they could fully grasp what they''re really getting themselves into.
[Continued in earlier post]
More like the proverbial "icing on the cake" if anything.
Parental responsibility is a biggie too, but I think we''re just tap dancing around the real issue here.
Americans these days lead very isolated lives. Even when we interact en masse'' via activities like going to church, or clubs, or school, there''s almost always an impersonal "coldness" that exists between us.
I''m speaking mostly of urban environments. If you live in a small town where everyone knows everyone else''s business, it''s different. But in the city, there''s a constant overtone of fear around any social interaction. That person you met who seems very nice could be the next mass murderer to make headlines. "You just never know."
Or at least that''s what we''re constantly forcefed by TV news, and served up in microscopic detail 3 nights a week by shows like the various CSI specie.
It isolates us by putting us in a padded fortress built of our own fears.
Plus the slavish devotion to sports, money, fashion, and all the other superficial materialistic *** leaves those unable to attain status in those realms feeling somewhat sub-human.
[continued in earlier post]
Welcome to the republican years.
Those were the days.. where did American culture go so wrong?
"what''cha gonna do with all that junk
all that junk inside that trunk?
. . . .
my humps my humps . . . "
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
(Psalm 51:5)
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."
(Psalm 51:5)
Posted by skulldigger7 at 03:12 PM : Jun 20, 2008"
Wow, then how do you explain that teen pregnancy rate are HIGHER in conservative states?
Don''t bother answering, that''s a rhetorical question.
If you believe that the ideas of "liberal" and "conservative" are ANYTHING other than a way to keep us fighting amongst each other so we can''t demand REAL CHANGE from those with real power, than you sir are a MORAN (misspelling intentional - google it).
And in ign''ant one at that. Sorry, but it''s true.
It''s called divide and conquer. O good cop / bad cop if you prefer. Either way, it''s pretty much the oldest trick in the book.
Please wake up now.
Respectfully,
EnerGino
But don''t think I''m taking the conervative side: liberal and conservatives are two sides of the same coin. They''re both blind-eyed advocates of their own religions who want to push their twisted views on the rest of us. My point was at least the conservatives, misguided as they are, have some semblance of a value system and discipline.
As for ''Moran'', I''m not Irish, but I have friends who are.
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf
Of the top ten states for teen preganancy, all of them were from states considered(and voting) conservative, with the only exceptions being California and possibly Nevada(although I think they went Republican last election too).
And on that subject, the same source shows that a certain population accounts for huge percentage of teens giving birth, and that particular demographic happens to be very predominately catholic conservative.
So you can''t even blame it on "liberals" in California.
But again, please let me say we need to see past the whole divide and conquer lib/con BS and start demanding real change.
Here''s a great start: Demand that our leaders change the laws so that Corporations do not have the same legal status as living breathing human beings.
For those who would argue that a corporation is made up of living breathing people: Please educate yourself -THEY ARE NOT. Even if there isn''t a single person working for a corporation, it still has all of the rights that you do, including the right to legal representation.
Think about what that says about what YOUR rights are worth.
Energino
PS: sorry if that was a threadjack - I do think it''s relevant to the systemic issues that led to this unfortunate situation.
Those were the days.. where did American culture go so wrong?
Posted by bobdobbes at 03:04 PM : Jun 20, 2008
That was way back in the days of education, sexual and otherwise. Now we don''t have to teach anyone anything, just pass that test, especially the pregnancy one.
Posted by Questionnews
Just happened? Your flipant attitude regarding such is part of the problem.
Posted by Questionnews
Just happened? Your flipant attitude regarding such is part of the problem.
Posted by denn034 at 04:47 PM : Jun 20, 2008
Obviously, you never watch South Park.
Posted by sociald63 at 05:01 PM : Jun 20, 2008
Can you give us compass heading as to what direction that was thrown?
Posted by Questionnews
If that''s contributing to this, then, not watching it is a good thing.
Posted by Questionnews
If that''''s contributing to this, then, not watching it is a good thing.
Posted by denn034 at 05:06 PM : Jun 20, 2008
The main point of that episode was that you do not want to be a (Gee..What will CBS let me get away with)a girl with loose morals. They implied that girls should have respect for themselves & thier bodies and that girls should not look up to & admire girls like Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan & Britney Spears because they are Stupid Spoiled *****''s
Posted by sociald63 at 05:10 PM : Jun 20, 2008
I couldn''t help but notice that you are part of this "idiotic group" Welcome!!
- 1
- 2
- next
See all 97 Comments