In 2008, more than 1,000 births were to unmarried parents, equivalent to just over a quarter of the total number. The figure represents a huge leap not only from half a century earlier, when it was just 63, but also from a decade ago, when it was still hovering at about 200. Does the relatively high number represent a problem for society? In some ways it does not; in others it certainly does.
One cannot lump all the unmarried mothers together and make a sweeping judgment. Cases of least concern are the births, planned or unplanned, that occur to mature people in a stable relationship, who, despite being unmarried, have all intentions of making a life together and have the means to support themselves and the new addition to their household. If they can provide a committed joint upbringing at least throughout the growing years, then this can be seen as preferable to the broken-home background offered by a married but separated couple.
Births out of wedlock start to be more worrying when they are to mothers without a partner to support them, although even here there is a caveat: many single mums are perfectly capable of giving their child a good, healthy upbringing. As a category, however, they are not only at higher risk of poverty than if they were in a partnership but the lack of a father figure may leave its mark on these children's psychological development.
Perhaps the most preoccupying category of all are births to teenage girls, the father of whose child is often undeclared and who may have no means of support other than a meagre offering from their parents. Here, besides a financially dire situation, which may severely restrict the quality of life and opportunities available to the child, are the higher medical risks to both mother and baby associated with giving birth too early in life. The number of teenage mums under 18 has risen by about 10 per cent over the last decade, to reach just over 100, and the number of those who are single (where the father is declared as unknown) has risen by about 20 per cent, now numbering over 50.
It is these classes of unmarried mothers that must give most cause for concern, in terms of the instability and social and economic disadvantages inherent in their situation, quite apart from any moral considerations that might be expressed by some. It has become a significant phenomenon and policy makers must be worried as how best to nip it in the bud, although that may not be quite the right term to use when, compared to, say, Denmark's teen pregnancy rate of just over one per cent, Malta's stands at a relatively high six per cent.
What have liberal societies like Denmark got right that Malta is missing? Possibly, they face the reality of teenage sexuality openly and equip their young people with the knowledge and skills to deal with it maturely. For the purposes of this discussion, that means avoiding pregnancy, whether by the preferred route of abstinence or by using contraception. All schools, whether Church, state or independent, have an obligation not only to provide a moral compass and teach responsibility to youngsters but also to offer comprehensive sex education for the many teenagers who choose not to keep on the straight and narrow.
It is time we stop setting youngsters adrift in our sexualised society without giving them the tools to look after themselves.