More than 100 teenage mothers up to May

Christian Sciberras

Sep 30th 2009, 20:32

@A Cassar - Seconded, except the part about society being at fault. I dislike how society works and quite frankly I'm not much of a social person. However, I must say society is a complex subject. If there's something at fault, it isn't society in general but the minor/smaller groups it is made of.
Personally, I can't blame anything or anyone (especially because of my aforementioned condition), but what I know of is, that this is easily avoidable.
Experimentation, being entertained, curiosity, peer-pressure, they're all side-effects and I'm sure that with some determination, anyone can avoid this problem.

@Paul Barrett - Mine words are just the words of an observer, nothing special whatsoever.
Increasing the age of consent could at least land more teens/persons into trouble (unlike the current situation, where very little is done about the problem).
However, you are very right, people need better entertainment, where someone actually takes care of these people (who cares about people being unreasonable in my bar/disco as long as I get the better audience!).
Well, what I can confidently say is that no one is innocent, especially today.

@Gerry Cowie - Exactly......maybe it's about time we hired some international expert?

Gerry Cowie

Sep 29th 2009, 19:38

We do not really know why this is happening. It's all to easy to blame society - what about the parents of the girls (assuming they have parents)? What about education within the family (assuming they have families)? What about self control? And forget the red herring that because contraception is seen as sinful that having unprotected sex is the lesser of two evils!
Sadly there will always be those who do so for benefits. But even they live to regret it.
The article does not actually state if any of the girls were married anyway.
More importantly, however, at least these mothers went on to have their babies and were not, along with their babies, victims of abortion.

Paul Barrett

Sep 29th 2009, 19:20

@ Christian Sciberras
For an 18 year old you speak words of wisdom beyond your years.
Unfortunately not everyone matures at the same pace and even more unfortunately the natural sexual drive in many matures long before understanding the consequences. I would dispute your idea of raising the age of consent, indeed 18 is out of step in this day and age, akin to sitting on the beach trying to hold back the incoming tide; it would increase those breaking the law but would make no difference what so ever to the sexually active teenagers.

A Cassar

Sep 29th 2009, 16:36

Yes society SHOULD pay for these teenagers' "mistakes".....because it is society's FAULT that teenagers are getting pregnant. If teenagers take drugs, drink alcohol, drive cars etc it is society's fault. These are teenagers we are speaking about, not mature adults!!!!

And of all things that can happen pregnancy is the one time where surely we cannot even think of abandoning the baby just to "punish " the teenager!!!

I don't want my tax money to be spent supporting teenage pregnancies.....I want it to be spent AVOIDING teenage pregnancies. Each pregnancy is a failure of our society, so then, the least we could do is try to patch up this failure and hopefuly the child born will break the cycle and be a productive member of society!

Christian Sciberras

Sep 29th 2009, 15:26

I honestly enjoy paying fair taxes, knowing that I'm helping someone recover from some serious injury or knowing that I'm indirectly financing some researcher which will obviously lead to a better life.
My taxes should go to paying for accidents, aid and further the prupose of the country.
And by accidents, I'm including victims.

However, I'm quite sure that a lot of "victims" aren't as innocent as they should be, which is why I fully agree with E. Vella.
I disagree with Mr Schembri, for one thing, we really shouldn't follow other countries' habits.
It actually would make sociological sense to increase the age of constent which should be at least 18.
I'm afraid no one at the age of 18 (let alone 16) is in their right mind to think about giving birth or marriage.
What about some good old fun? Why is it that today's "fun" is just all about having sex?
Know that this is said by an 18 year old, so there must be some truth to my words.

Kind regards,
Christian Sciberras.

Joseph Calleja

Sep 29th 2009, 14:08

How come it's legal to issue free syringes to druggies but not legal to issue birth control pills or condoms? When is sex education going to be introduced at home and in schools? Sex is introduced very freely on every TV Screen, Theater Screen, and of course the internet. A total of 106 teenage mothers were registered between January and May this year and all will be supported by the innocent tax payer. There were 276 teenage pregnancies last year, 247 in 2007 and 237 in 2006. These are staggering numbers. How many babies have only one parent. I don't know who the father is, is a cop out and the government should not encourage this type of behavior. The 106 under age mothers should be supported by the father and their parents, the rest should be responsible for themselves and their babies. People are going to have sex anyway, so why not encourage these kids to use birth control pills and condoms etc. Stop the WHO IS YOUR DADDY SYNDROME. I am sure the girl knows who he is, but if she tells, then there are no FREE BENEFITS. Prevention is the best way.

lgalea

Sep 29th 2009, 13:46

JF Vassallo Ebejer
Single mothers should turn to the father for support not on the other citizens.

E. Vella

Sep 29th 2009, 13:28

@ JF Vassallo Ebejer

Calling what is right , right and what is wrong, wrong is not a hate campaign. Do you think it's right for honest people to subsidize single mothers who know fully well know who the father is?

Paul Barrett

Sep 29th 2009, 13:28

Whatever policy anyone wishes to put forward, there will always be young probably experimental and rushed sexual intercourse - it is nature. It will never be totally stopped whatever policies are tried.

What is needed is education - so that these children have a clear idea of every aspect of having sexual intercourse - not just the dangers and making it totally forbidden fruit.

We do not live in a perfect world and children need easy access to the tools to be able to cope - knowledge is one of the greatest tools in the human armoury.

C J Zammit

Sep 29th 2009, 12:36

Although I do not condone these teenage births and loose cash I do not know where Vassallo Ebejer got the impression that the Dockyard & Kalaxlokk workers were scroungers ,poor workers !! They were really hard done after their contribution to the country !!

adrian aquilina

Sep 29th 2009, 12:29

its mainly down to our stupid rules and mentality about contraception..mr ebejar,religious countries are always the most intolerant of everything..the less religious the country the less problems like this..this country and its government need to wake up,grow up,come into the modern world and start making all forms of contraception available,the pill free like u.k. and sex not something that is kept quiet and frowned at..it is natural.oh and you cant put things down to a night gone wrong..we all know what we are doing...lack of real education on contraception and getting rid of that stupid catholic guilt thing..religion stops you taking responsibility for your actions but nothing but you are responsible for all your actions in life..government and church are to blame for lack of contraception,advice,stigmatising sex and not enough education on it

C Fabri

Sep 29th 2009, 12:20

surely the majority of them are single mothers and while I had to go to work after a year parental leave and had to settle my daughter at a paying childcare centre, these stay relaxed at home and receive their cheque. I'm sorry but we are giving the wrong message here; couples who conceive when they should and take responsibility of their new borns are kind of being punished by society as they have to find out how they can support their family while these teenagers do not have to worry at all because our society provides for them and their child! Keep the numbers growing!

JF Vassallo Ebejer

Sep 29th 2009, 12:17

Looks like the hate campaign against single mothers has started - the same type of campaign that were orchestrated against the Drydock workers, Kalaxlokk workers and Sea Malta workers.

Oh what a Christian country we are.

Scroungers should be stopped from living off the rest of the community, but the worst offenders are not the single mothers, rather they are the PM and his Ministers who are destroying eveything that was of any moral and ethical value.

Matthew Bugeja

Sep 29th 2009, 11:50

i guess these are all single mothers aswell hux!!! well if yes i think im partly the father of all these new borns since im paying for them from my taxes!!! while me and others work to pay their home loans for maybe someday could comfortable make a family , these people have all the benefits paid from my taxes!! hope this budget will cut down these abuses once and for all!!!

wally vella-zarb

Sep 29th 2009, 11:49

At these young ages, I think that it is highly unlikely that these girls got themselves impregnated just to get their hands onto social benefits. A teenager would be more interested in enjoying a carefree life than in raising babies. Most probable scenario is a wild night gone horribly wrong, possibly after ingesting a quantity of alcohol - or worse.

Danny Fabri (student-Malta visiter)

Sep 29th 2009, 11:49

Too many energy drinks i guess without mentioning any trade marks.

P Pace Balzan

Sep 29th 2009, 11:42

@R Dimech
Well said. However I would have added legislatively speaking to financially speaking.

Adrian Cachia

Sep 29th 2009, 11:42

Looks like the North is catching up with the rest.

Joseph Schembri

Sep 29th 2009, 11:39

I would like to ask the Commissioner of Police about how many men were investigated for having sex with these females who were not yet 18. This is because the age of consent in Malta is 18 - any sex with anyone below that age is illegal and is often prosecuted as abuse, defilement of minors etc.

Meanwhile people in Malta can legally marry at age 16, two years below the age at which they can have sex. This crazy situation exists because our legislators persist in not lowering the age of consent. In most European countries the age of consent hovers around the 15 years mark.

If the abnormally high age of consent in Malta were lowered the fathers of these babies would be able to come forward and claim paternity without fear of criminal action against them for abuse of minors (the mothers).

R Dimech

Sep 29th 2009, 11:32

Notice the increase each year. And as long as they get paid for doing it (through additional social & other benefits, imsieken), expect it to continue. At taxpayers' expense, of course.
These days, it's just not worth it (financially speaking) to form and live like a 'normal' family.