Teen “Pregnancy Pact”: The Perfect Storm?
The shocking news from the small fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts spread across the country and around the world: 17 girls from one high school were pregnant, part of a supposed ‘pregnancy pact’ in which the students intentionally set out to become teen mothers, with a vow to raise their babies together.
It wasn’t the first time Gloucester made international headlines. The tragic 1991 loss at sea of a Gloucester fishing boat and its crew prompted the book and the movie “The Perfect Storm.”
Now a tidal wave of finger-pointing about who or what was responsible for so many pregnancies tipped toward a “perfect storm” of outside influences.
Some blamed Gloucester’s depressed local economy and the demise of its once-thriving fishing industry. Others indicted so-called broken families and directionless youth. Gloucester High, it was suggested, had brought the predicament on itself, by providing easily accessible on-campus day care for the babies of student mothers. And Hollywood shouldered its share of responsibility—the movie “Juno” was blamed for glamorizing unwed teen motherhood, and the media’s obsession with pregnant celebs having babies as “accessories” was called out as well.
But soon cracks began to appear in the cultural blame game. A reproductive specialist noted that the pregnancy trend at Gloucester High began before “Juno” hit the theaters. Gloucester’s mayor said the pregnancy rate was a statistical “blip” and rued the lack of health education funding. And the School Superintendent stated that he’d never heard the term “pact” used by the students, only by the media.
After days of silence, one of the girls finally appeared on national television. 17-year-old Lindsey Oliver denied the existence of a pact. “There was a group of girls already pregnant that decided they were going to help each other to finish school and raise their kids together,” she said. “I think it was just a coincidence.”
Tell us what you think: Are the Gloucester teen pregnancies the result of a “perfect storm” of outside influences, or does responsibility lie elsewhere?
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not a mom but wiht to be
that is ok becaues they wiht to have sex there let they
monish trice | 4 months ago
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teenage pregnacies
i think teenagers should be having babies because its alot of responsibilities that come with having a baby…Im sixteen and i just wrote a report on should ages 16 and under be able to purchase condoms. I beleive we should becuase it could prevent alot of teenage pregnacies….
martell green | 4 months ago
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Thoughts of a Teen Mom
I myself was a mother at the age of 17. My decision to have my son was not the result of being impoverished or the lack of a role model. I was an honor student who was involved in many school activities. Having my son taught me to be assertive and hard-working. I continued my education and have successfully completed college with honors. I’m in no way saying that it wasn’t hard, but it offends me when general assumptions are made solely on what individuals think they know.
Latisha L. Johnson | 4 months ago
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why teen pregnancey is bad
I think teen pregnancy is bad cause it can cause you a bad life like not going to school I can speck cause I have friend. That had a baby at age of 15 and her. Right now she can go back to being a child an not a mother thats my advise
markailla | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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life
we’ll i;m not goin with it or against it beacuase if they didn’t mean to get pregnat its not there falut then it is cuz they shouldn’t have been open there legs so idk but if they plan to have kids obivoulsy they got some one whos willing to take ca of them nd there baby but hey dnt jugde nobody cuz erbody make mistakes but its not cute doe
tonya johnson | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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hay
who old is your baby?
what your baby name?
where u stay at?
TAMARA MERCER | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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love
it hrits
mranda | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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this is bad
what i think about what i know about teen pregnancy it is not good but it is good in a way cause your bringing in a new life and trust me i made new life and it hurt my parents and it hurt my boyfriend! Why do people think it doesnt hurt to give birth it does and if you not ready for the pain than dont have sex
Melanie Rose Marson | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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so what!!
listen i am a teen mother and it didnt stop me from my school..and i made it…i dint need my mom or dads help…i was on my own…now i am a sophmor in college…not having any problems with it…what other teen moms need to do is stop biching because if they cant do it then they should think before they had sex..i had my kid when i was 14 years old…
timothea | 3 months, 4 weeks ago
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re re
no matter if they have a baby are not they are going to learn from it because not only they are bringing a baby and this world they would have more then the responsibility then what they had before take me i have 15 when i got when i when pregnency had my baby when i was 16 now he his 2 when i was 15 i was out there doing anything but now i stay at home takeing care of my lill boy and that feels so much good i have learn from what i had did!!!!
brinae | 3 months, 3 weeks ago
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