...rights vs. parental involvement contributes to the hot debate on who has the legal right to choose. The woman has every right to decide whether she wants to carry the pregnancy to full term or to have an abortion. However, since unprotected sex results in unplanned pregnancy, parents should have a say in abortion decision. The physical health risk of abortion is very low when done in the early stages of pregnancy and in qualified abortion clinic. Ninety Seven percent of women who have abortion in their first trimester have no complications, and the risk for adolescents is low if done in the first trimester. (O'Keeffe & Jones.) The physical risks of abortion for teens is greater than that of their adult counterpart because teens have a longer approval process that increase the risk of the abortion been done in the second trimester. If the parents are a part of the decision then the approval process maybe shorter, eliminating the complications associated with late term abortions. Early term abortion carries less risk for physical health issues and reduces the potential for pregnancy related health issues that can occur while waiting for the abortion decision. The higher risk of health issues for teens exists since they will often seek alternative medical services due to legal and confidentiality issues. Waiting longer and having abortions performed in...
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...purpose of this essay is to identify how preeminent teenage pregnancy has become in teens ages fourteen and up, how famous it has become in the United States and how the majority of teens do not finish their education after becoming pregnant. The sources used in this essay provide the necessary information needed for readers to understand why and how a teenagers environment has become influential for them becoming pregnant. Teenage pregnancy is affecting teens by causing them to drop out of school and not finish their education which later results in a limited amount of choices when choosing a career. Outline Thesis: The social life of teenagers influences teenage pregnancy through pressure from peers, too much access to the media and lack of sex education from parents and teachers in the United States. I. Peer pressure in the United States is the major factor influencing teenage pregnancy in the U.S. A. During adolescence, teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in with their peers. B. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex. C. The Kaiser Family Foundation states that more than 29 percent of pregnant teens reported that they felt pressured to have sex. II. Excessive access to the media plays an important role in teenage pregnancy A. In the U.S today, the majority of teens have access to phones, tablets and computers which...
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...many families with teen girls. When a teen girl is thinking about having an abortion, she is making the choice on whether or not to go through with a pregnancy. I believe that parent’s should never have their rights taken away from them. When it comes to a teen girl under the age of eighteen, parental consent before an abortion should be required. Parental consent is very important because parents should have the right to be involved in the decision making process. Parents are the people who created and raised these teen girls. Parents deserve to know what is going on in their child’s life. According to Song, “Researcher’s at the City University of New York studied the state of Texas and found teen abortion rates under the age of eighteen dropped in the wake of the parental consent law.” Having parental consent helps the teen in deciding what to do and get support from adults in the important decision of abortion. Even if the relationship between the teen and her parents isn’t the best, she is better off with their guidance, rather than not have any at all. Having parental rights restored can help build the family. Help teen girls make the important decision that will affect her for the rest of her life. A teen girl will never know what her parents will say. They could say that they would help with the baby or find an adoption plan, instead of going through the risky procedure of an abortion. I believe that parents always know what’s best for their teens because they were...
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...Who is to blame when teenagers make destructive decisions? Teenagers, nowadays, are known for their bad decision making. They go out and drink and do drugs and just make bad, dangerous decisions. Teenagers just want to have fun and they think they can only do that at their age, when they are young. However, this is not true! Not only is it dangerous to do the things they do for fun, (like drinking and drugs), but they aren't even old enough to do those things they want to do. Most teens ignore that and also that their parents are always telling them not to do those kinds of things. They rebel and do bad things that will come back to bite them and things they will most likely regret. Teens are getting worse and worse when it comes to their decision making everyday. It is their fault if they make a bad decision because they have full control of their mind and body, and they need to start taking more responsibility for it. Parents can persuade their children but ultimately, teenagers make their own decisions. Obviously, like any other human being, teenagers have a brain and a mind of their own. Parents can try to convince their child to do the right thing in a certain situation all they want. However, it is the teenager who ultimately decides what to do with their own brain. Our parents always know what is best for us and will always tell us the right thing to do. Our parents want the best for us and would never encourage or tell us to do something dangerous or something...
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...impact teenagers almost the same amount as their parents. Teenagers go to their friends for help or to ask questions that they could not ask their parents about. Most of the time their friends give them good advice but then there is the down side when they put pressure on their friends to do something like to smoke, drink, and do drugs. In most cases they tell their friends how to dress and act when around certain people. Love relationships just make it even harder for a teenager to get a good education. Some start to fail in school because they are hanging out with their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of doing their work. Throughout adolescence, teenagers are positively and negatively impacted by several relationships such as friends, family, and love relationships. Friends have a big influence on teenagers because they can say and do many of things to teenagers who think they were friends. They also start rumors and take their friends girlfriend or boyfriend and have them cheat on their friend. Some go out to drink, smoke, or to do drugs just to have fun but some think of driving home and most teenagers do not even make it to their driveways. Some teenagers who are so depressed about their social problems even think about committing suicide. Most start to hurt others turn into “goth’s” by dressing in all black. Many of depressed people show how they feel by dressing differently by acting out and hurting others in school. Parents have a big influence on teenagers because their...
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...Frances E. Jensen, teens are not mentally developed, thus it can make them incapable of making crucial decisions. When it comes to voting, teens cannot always be trusted with America’s fate. Since many teens are not interested in the world of politics, they are improbable to be concern of what is happening. At the age of 16 and 17, teens are not able to make crucial decisions yet, therefore, how are they going to be able to make the right decision for the nation? Despite the reasons for lowering the voting age to 16, lowering the voting age to 16 is a catastrophic mistake because teenagers are easily swayed, are immature, and are irresponsible. The fact of the matter is that teens are easily swayed, which makes lowering the voting age to 16 unacceptable. “This leaves teens easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulsive behavior, even without the impact of souped-up hormones and any genetic or family predisposition (Ruder 1).” According to Harvard Magazine, teens are likely to be swayed by influences such as school, friends,...
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...influence in sexual decisions of teens and adolescents. Parents can be one of the strongest influences in an adolescents’ life. Studies have shown that higher levels of parental involvement in their child’s life are linked with lower levels of delinquency, violent behavior, high school dropout and drug abuse as well as with higher levels of educational attainment (Moore & Zaff, 2002). For this study, we will look specifically at parental influence to reduce adolescent/teens decision to become sexually active at an early age. There are many reasons why this topic warrants deeper research. Early adolescent sexual experience is said to be lined with various risky behaviors, including unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (Kirby et. al, 2005, Ryan et. al, 2008). With huge emphasis placed on the role parents have in their children’s’ lives, it is conceivable that their impact can play a role in deferring teens/adolescents from engaging in sexual activities thus lessening the dangers that surround sexual promiscuity. It is also extremely critical to understand if parental involvement has a connection with the timing of a teen/adolescents initial sexual encounter. Child Trends analyzed the most recent data published from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997). This cohort study attempted to investigate how parenting practices that happen before their adolescent/teen become sexually interested and active will affect their decision to become sexually...
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...Preventing Teen Pregnancy Institution Affiliation Name Introduction Prevention of teen pregnancy is a national priority. For instance, teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States continues to be higher than other Western industrialized nations. To address teen pregnancy prevention, it is advisable first to understand what teen pregnancy is, causes of the teen pregnancy as well as the effect on the nation and fundamental community as well as a family (Nolan & Mary, 2009). Teen pregnancy is simply pregnancy in a female under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy is conceived. The act is associated with a variety of factors and effects. Prevention Teen pregnancy is a critical public health issue since it directly affects the instant and long-term welfare of a child, mother, and father. The act contributed school dropout among most of the female as well as increasing foster and health care costs. In addition, it has provided to a broad range of age-related problems for teen born children (Kaplan, Beth & Susan, 2007). Causes of teen pregnancy There couple of factors which contributes to teen pregnancy that include the following; Peer Pressure Teens habitually feel pressure to make groups or friends and fit in with their peers during their adolescence. Most of the times these teenagers let their groups influence their choice to have sex even when they are not fully aware or understand the consequences and magnitude associated with the action...
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...TEEN TALK A Survival Guide for Parents of Teenagers WHAT'S NORMAL FOR TEEN DEVELOPMENT? Colleen Gengler, Extension Educator, Family Relations, University of Minnesota Extension What's teen development all about? Parents often blame the ups and downs of raising a teen on one or two things such as changes in hormones or the influence of peer pressure. The preteen and teen years are filled with many changes. Teens have many developmental tasks to accomplish, far more than those of infancy and early childhood. Normal teen development is made up of not only biological and physical changes, but also social, emotional, and intellectual changes. A teen is experiencing many changes in: Their friendships and relationships. How their brain functions. How they think. How they exist in the larger society. • • • • Teens are also figuring out who they are or in other words, their identity. Part of this process is working to become more independent while still maintaining ties with parents and family. Accomplishment of these developmental tasks happens gradually, sometimes independently and sometimes together with another task, and in no set order. Each teen matures on his or her own timetable. Teens can be ahead of the typical age in one area of development and at the same time, behind the average age in another area. For example, consider the awkward 15 year old boy who has not gotten used to the extra inches he grew in a few months; this same 15 year old boy might possess wonderful...
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...TEEN PREGNANCY Half of the teen girls aged fifteen to nineteen who became pregnant were not using any method of birth control. Among those, thirty-one per cent said “they did not think they could get pregnant at the time” (Chicago Tribune 2012). Teen pregnancy makes the lives of teens and their parents more troublesome and crushes their dreams of a great future. Pregnancy should happen when you are prepared for it. Parents usually have high expectations their children. When their child becomes pregnant as a teen, their expectations are not met and their life is full of disappointment. The expenses of a baby are extremely high, so many of the teens parents have to help financially. Pregnancy is one of the most pivotal moments of a woman’s life but not when you are young with a bright future ahead. The stress of pregnancy, revelation of pregnancy to parents and friends, and moving on despite the shame and worry, can be nerve-racking. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (.only one-third of the teens receive a high school diploma). Teen pregnancy presents a challenge; so many pregnant teens today feel empty, betrayed, and lost (Today’s Pregnant Teen march 01 2007). Teen pregnancy can be risky to unborn babies. Teen pregnancy results in underweight babies due to poor eating habits. Many teens smoke and drink alcohol, are likely to not receive prenatal care (Today’s Pregnant Teen march 01 2007). Pregnancies which occur often in teens will result in more costly...
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...most when decisions about the family separating or divorcing are being made. Parents seem to forget that children need stability and protection from the adult issues that can occur in their lives. These decisions will have an effect on children for their entire lives, and parents cannot imagine the long lasting effects. More and more children seem to be on the front lines of these custody battles between parents. Are parents risking the children’s psychological and emotional stability by having the children on the battle ground of a divorce? Children are very resilient but they need parental help to recover from a divorce. The court relies on what the parents are telling them as much as the other professionals and behavioral analysis examiners that have been assigned to the cases. While some parents do not mind this intrusion in to their lives, children feel as if things are not safe or stable. Parents will start to play “tug-of-war” with the children stuck in the middle. Parents who do not settle disputes over custody without the courts help will risk everyone especially the child being hurt. Courts will normally side for what has been the normal stable situation for the child, if there has not been abuse in the home. Parents who are taking the battles for custody of children to the court system should be aware if the court perceives the parents could have settled before asking the court to intervene, then the Court will make the decision for the parents based on the...
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...how the parents feel that it is an issue and are scared to let their child run rampant online. They are terrified of the misfortunes that arise from being online. Since the parents are afraid they limit what the teenager can do online. While the parents think they have solved a problem they just made a new problem for their son/daughter. Their son/daughter won’t learn certain social skills that everyone who was let explore online freely have. That's why it's vital that teenagers are let to use the internet freely. With my personal experience with using social media it has been good. It's taught me some skills that are very key to becoming an adult. One skill is decision making, this important for online and offline activities. While online you have to know if...
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...Lance Voorhees January 16, 2012 Problem/Solution Essay Underage Drinking Underage drinking has been a growing problem in today’s youth. Nowadays teens and young adults are influenced by alcohol everyday. Whether it is by friends, advertisements, celebrities, or even family. Alcohol abuse amongst minors, needs to be abolished. To help end this growing problem, classes taught on drugs and alcohol, in all schools, should be required. Along with simply teaching minors, in school, the health issues and dangers of alcohol abuse, parents need to do a better job of knowing what their teens are doing. Communication, not only between parents and their children, but also between siblings and friends, has a great impact on the decisions they will make. When it comes to peer pressure, minors must realize what is best for their safety and choose wisely who their friends are. Required classes, strictly on the use of drugs and alcohol, taught in schools, would have an enormous impact on teens. With it being a required course, students would have no choice but to attend. Not only would they be learning the health issues of these substances, they would be being tested and graded on their knowledge of the subjects. This would force teens to listen to and take into consideration, the risk of substance abuse. Being in the classroom and learning with other people of the same age group could help students create positive, drug and alcohol free, friendships. Having friends who have the same understanding...
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...selected this topic because I feel like it is essential to teach our children all the risk and responsibilities that come with the decision to become sexually active, before they become sexually active. If teens are taught the essentials about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, and are educated on the resources available, they will be able to make an informed decision before making a crucial decision. I feel that when abstinence is all that is taught by parents, our children are too scared to ask about sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, and don’t know about the resources available to them to prevent both. Teenagers who are sexually active have no idea all of the different resources available to help them to prevent pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted infections. When they become sexually active they are afraid that they are going to get in trouble for not being abstinent which further increases their chance of getting pregnant or spreading infections because they are too scared to ask about it before they put themselves in the situation. Among the most conservative states I found the following. “Mississippi continues to have the highest teeth birth rate, with 55 births per 1,000 girls. New Hampshire has the lowest rate at just under 16 births per 1,000 girls. This is the lowest national rate for teen births since the Centers for Disease Control began tracking it in 1940, and CDC officials attributed the decline to pregnancy prevention...
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...“Teen Moms and Adoption” Anthony Arcieri Dr. Bob Baron English 102 July 26th, 2012 OUTLINE History of Adoption A. Origination of Adoption B. Reasons For Adopting Early Pregnancy in the United States A. Teen Pregnancy B. Teen Moms Financial Struggles Emotional Struggles and Suicide Positives of Adoption A. Abortion Alternative B. Better the Quality of Life C. A Second Chance Arcieri 1 Recent studies in the United States have shown that thirty-four percent of teenage women will become pregnant at least once before the age of twenty. Of the 820,000 teen pregnancies each year seventy-nine percent occur out of wedlock, while one third never achieve a high school diploma or GED (Chappuis). It is estimated that about five percent of teen mothers end up putting their child up for adoption. As for the ninety-five percent of those teen moms that choose to raise their child on their own, many of them feel differently about their decisions once they attempt to balance the hardships of raising a child with living the life of a teenager ("Abortion.org"). This can easily lead to added stress levels, an unhealthy environment, and improper care for the child. One and a half percent of teen moms that decide to keep their child do not achieve a college degree before the age of thirty (Chappius) where as on average forty-three percent of adopted children end up in homes where at least one parent already has a college degree...
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