Just Keeping My Options Open..Teen Mum-Cream Or No Cream?

I recently read an article in The Daily Telegraph where surprisingly once again teen mum has been represented negatively within the Media. . This is because she left her 5 year old in the boiling spanish sun for 10 hours. Which is ridiculous if you ask me. The little boy suffered serious sunburna nd had to be later submitted to hospital.

''According to locals, at around 10am the woman went to work at the top of the beach for five hours, but failed to collect her child when she finished her shift.''

It simply shows how careless young teen mums can be towards their young children. But I strongly believe that Media portrays teen mums in a bad light for the reason that if this happened to a mature mum, which was at least 25, then the article would not be published. Concluding, it is obvious that papers publish stories that stereotype people, which is very wrong.

Dubplate Drama-You Decide What Happens Next

This is a scene from 'Dubplate Drama'. This show is based on various number of themes and usually portray violence. Such as knifes, guns and brutal beatings. However this urban themed tv show lets the audience decide what happens next which is in a way gives the audience a chance to have a say in what a certain character should do based on their own opinions and morals. In a way this is a great advantage for the reason that it lets the audience think for themselves rather than just getting influenced by the storyline. However audience still have a a chance of following characters motives and actions for the reason that the storyline is not entirely based on audiences choice. As you can see from this Dubplate Drama clip, 2 youths are planing to rob a video set by using knifes to threaten their rivals. This could encourage youths and gangs to take on the the same approach in life to get what thy need, or in this case what they want.

Change of Topic-Still Deciding

This extract from the 'Sugarhouse'..British Urban Culture Film portrays teen gang culture in a very negative light. Teenagers who watch this may be influenced in various ways to act and behave in a certain way to achieve high status within their peer group. The constant talk of 'Guns' and swearing may give teenagers the thought that it is right to behave like that therefore crime will be encouraged within these sort of type of films.

Change Of Subject

I am now thinking of changing the area of subject that I have chosen to do for my 'Critical Research'. My chosen topic was Children & The Media-and i was focusing on how Media represents teenage mums through the media, which is usually portrayed as a negative image.
However....After looking further into the topic I no longer find it particularly interesting and I am considering of changing it. I don't really want to know why teenagers get pregnant and why are they portrayed in such way- It simply does not interest me..Maybe because i can not relate to it, for the reason that I am not a teen mum and I do not know any teen mothers myself. Even though Teenage Pregnancy does not seem to interest me to a high extent in oder to choose it for my Critical Research-I am not entirely sure that i will discontinue researching further into the matter.
I am now thinking of picking a topic associated with Crime and the Media. If i do decide to pick this area of study I am likely to research 'How Urban British Films such as Bullet Boy, Life & Lyrics , Kidulthood/Adulthood influence or in some terms glorify deviant behavior within the teen culture. I am also interested to find out if such films have a motive behind them or are they simply broadcast to represent the 'REAL GANG CULTURE'. Anyways I am not entirely sure if I will be changing my area of study into Crime & the Media.

Media Blamed For The Increase In Teenage Sexual Behavior

Nowadays it is easy to say that most teenagers are participating in sexual activities without the protection which leads to 'Teen Pregnancy'. Most people argue that the Media is to blame for this, there is so many media resources nowadays that promote sexual behavior. Magazines such as FHM convey a macho image. Even though it is possible to argue that 'why would these young kids from the age of 12-15 be reading such magazines', you would be surprised with the answer. The childhood of most children is now getting shorter and more and more children are pulled in to the media world which encourage such sexual behavior. "The number of children depending on the media as a source of sexual information has grown and grown," said Mr Raymond. This quote from the BBC News article shows just how dependant children are on the Media. It could be argue that childhood is getting shorter and the adulthood is taking over in the early years of a child's life. Some people say that the Media is not to blame for a child's sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, it could be simply explained as a teen peer culture. Teenage mums may be represented negatively within the Media but that is not always the case for the reason that there has been a various number of success stories. Lastly most teenage mums that do not have high educational aspirations feel that having a children as a way out. Films like Juno & Waitress glorify the idea of having a child at a very young age.

Teens Tell Al About The Media

I feel that am mature enough to make my own choices. Television is just entertainment--nothing is going to change my views and the way I act.
1
When you see teenagers on television messing around all the time and having sex, you forget what a healthy relationship is like
.2
Just because two television personalities are having sex doesn't mean that I have to or want to for that matter.

3
The first thing a guy points out is that stars in the movies don't have to wear a condom.
4
Some television shows are able to portray teen life in a realistic manner. A show like Dawson's Creek is intriguing to us because it shows what being a teenager is all about. We are faced with life, love and relationship decisions everyday. A situation like finally realizing that you've been in love with your best friend your whole life does happen. And deciding whether your ready to have sex is a real life issue. Sometimes seeing things on TV contributes to our own life decisions.
5
T.V. reinforces the 'it could never happen to me' illusion.
6
At eighteen, I am mature enough to realize that what I see on television isn't real, and that the choices characters make on T.V. aren't always the best choices for me in my life. Younger children though, may not be able to discern 'T.V.-land' from reality.
7
T.V. makes kids think that having sex before marriage is something that everybody does, and is the right thing.
8
Television portrays teenage girls as always being thin, beautiful, and sexual.
9
It makes you believe that you won't get pregnant or STDs because no one on television does.
10
I think it is stupid to blame T.V. for everything. There comes a time when people need to take responsibility for their actions. When it comes down to it, you have no choice but to look back and say 'Hey, that was my action and I knew what was wrong and what was right and I made my decision, no one else.'
11
We're [teens] not angels, but we're not as bad as we're being portrayed [in the media].
12
The media does have an impact on your life, regardless of what you say. You're going to make your own choice, but media makes it easier for you and makes you put aside your family values. You see teenage shows and people have sex on the show. It's easier for that person to go and have sex and feel more comfortable.
13[Sex has] always been there. It's always been there, since like our parents were young. It's just that now that the media is more comfortable showing it, now it's a more open issue.
14
Parents don't want to take the blame for it. They say it's the TV.
15

[Sex has] always been there. It's always been there, since like our parents were young. It's just that now that the media is more comfortable showing it, now it's a more open issue.14
Parents don't want to take the blame for it. They say it's the TV.15

Teen mums spurred on to exam success

Article history
Charlotte Savage describes getting pregnant at 16 as the 'best thing that ever happened to her'. In less than a year, she went from a school drop-out to an ambitious teenager training to become a primary school teacher.
Charlotte is not alone. While most parents would be horrified at the thought of their school-age daughter getting pregnant, a new report says it can transform the lives of disillusioned teenagers, spurring them to return to the classroom and aim higher than ever before.

Raising Expectations, by the government's Basic Skills Agency, highlights the fact that pregnancy can be the ultimate wake-up call. 'Finding out you are pregnant at 14 is a complete eye-opener,' said Carol Taylor, executive director for national development at the agency. 'It is a wake-up call - I am responsible for a person and I have got to learn a whole new world about being an adult.'

Taylor said many girls who fell pregnant initially had low expectations, but quickly became highly aspirational. The report praises projects that help to fulfil their ambitions by offering classes on parenting and basic skills.

It was a course for young mums run under the auspices of YMCA Training that helped to turn Charlotte's life around. She hated school. Boring lessons and bullying meant she went in only once a week. In the end, she left before taking her GCSEs and fell pregnant a few months later.

'I was 16 when I got pregnant and it was a bit of a shock,' she said. 'My mum was upset.' She split up with her boyfriend when their daughter, Amelia, was one month old. But the pregnancy changed her attitude to life. 'Having a baby opened up my eyes; I realised I needed a decent job to bring her up.'

Charlotte went to classes that taught her how to be a good mum, as well as helping with traditional subjects. Her attendance was perfect and she quickly got qualifications equivalent to GCSE A to C in maths and English. She is about to go to college to start on her path to becoming a teacher: 'If I had never had a baby, I would be working in retail, but now I have found something I really want to do.'

Her story is typical of many a young woman's. While it is not only those from difficult backgrounds who become pregnant teenagers, many cases involve girls who struggle at school and play truant. That aversion to school disappears quickly after they get pregnant, according to the study.

Nona Dawson, a research fellow at Bristol University and expert on teenage pregnancy, made a study of 10 local authorities in England. She found that young mothers developed a new-found 'belief' in education - not just for their own sake but also for their child's. The most successful schemes were where teenage mothers attended pupil referral units, rather than going back to school.

'These young women are generally disfranchised before they become pregnant,' she said. 'Education was not a priority. But you have a baby and you grow up. You realise there is going to be at least one person you will bring into the world.'

Dawson's work showed that attendance levels and exam results were all excellent as soon as the girls realised they were expecting.

The reality of being a teen mum
By Sue Mitchell
Producer on It's My Story


The girls enjoy motherhood
With teenage girls now choosing pregnancy as a "career option", according to a leading charity, three young mothers talk about how they dealt with the experience.

Britain has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in Europe and they cost the country about £63m a year.

Many young girls even see having a baby as a better option than a low-paid "dead-end" job, recent research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggests.

But with 40,000 teenagers giving birth in Britain every year what is the reality of having a baby so young? What challenges do such young mothers face and how do they cope?

Housewife

Zoe and Jenny were just 14 when they got pregnant and Olivia 15. The three girls met at Cyfle a special educational unit in Wrexham, north Wales, for young mothers. Cyfle provides support so they can continue with their education, while looking after their babies.

The girls are transferred to the unit in the later stages of pregnancy and usually return two weeks after the birth. An on-site creche is provided so the girls can bring their babies with them. They are usually taught at the unit for a term, before returning to their normal schools.


Zoe's twin helped her cover up her pregnancy
Zoe, from Wrexham, managed to conceal her pregnancy until just two weeks before giving birth with the help of her identical twin, Gemma. At school her sister stepped into her place when it came to sports lessons and at home the youngsters managed to fool their parents and younger sister.

"I didn't want anyone to force me into an abortion and I felt sorry for my Mum - she always tries so hard and I didn't want to disappoint her by telling her I was pregnant," she says.

"I was scared though - we were both scared. The longer you go on without saying anything the harder it is to tell someone."

Choices

Zoe's mother, Collette, finally realised what was happening during a family holiday in Spain, when it became impossible for Zoe to conceal her pregnancy with baggy clothes. Just two weeks later she gave birth to Georgia and went to Cyfle to study for her GCSEs.

The unit was set up by a former secondary school teacher, Teresa Foster Evans, who was concerned that girls getting pregnant whilst still at school are often forced to leave without finishing their education.

Olivia also attended the unit. She had been at a private girls school in Chester when, on the brink of starting her GCSE year, she told her mother that she needed to pop into a supermarket to take a pregnancy test. She came out of the store in tears and announced that the test, which she'd taken in the shop's lavatory, was positive.


Jenny wanted to be a mother and housewife
"In some ways I wasn't surprised," says her mother, Anne Malcolm. "I was shocked of course and a lot of things crossed my mind but there was no question of not keeping the baby. Some people suggested a termination - I wasn't one of them."

Olivia has no regrets about having her daughter Ayeasha at 15. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me," she says. "If I had to do the same again I would. I don't have contact with Ayeasha's Dad but I have help from my parents and there's nothing else I wanted to do with my life.

"I don't want a career - I want to bring my little girl up and I still go out and have fun."

'Better lives'

Teenage pregnancy rates in north Wales are particularly worrying. The most common scenario is for the daughters of teenage mothers to go on and repeat the same pattern as they grow up. This was the case for the third of the girls, Jenny, who set out to get pregnant when she was just 14.

"I wanted a baby, I wanted to be a housewife and I thought it would bring me and my boyfriend, Danny, closer together," she says. "He was 17 at the time and he wasn't saying I had to use contraception. But once I got pregnant he wasn't happy then and told me to get rid of it."

Jenny, however, chose to go ahead with the pregnancy and now lives alone with two-year-old Holly. She's supported by her own mother, Sara, who knows what it's like to bring up a baby young and on your own.


Foster Evans: 'Education is key'
"It's not what I would have wanted for her, she knows how hard it was for me and how poor we were but still she went ahead and did it," she says. "She so wanted it to work and she thought she'd be with Danny for the rest of her life, even though I knew it would never work out."

Teresa Foster Evans believes a large part of the work going on at Cyfle has to centre around helping these teenage mothers lead more fulfilling lives so their own children can be given more choices as they grow up.

"Education is the key to it," she says. "If we can get them through their GCSEs and help them finish their schooling we can give them and their children far better lives."

Celebrity pregnancy is the ‘new black’ unless you’re a teen mum

Notice how everyone is talking about the possibility of a newly pregnant 16 year old giving up her baby to her mother with a kind of creepy glee? The idea that pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of another case study in motherhood moralising is ”reluctantly agreeing that giving up the baby is the right thing to do” [my emphasis] isn’t ringing alarm bells for us. In fact, we’re all a-ok with that kind of decision making because it really is for the best that this baby not be raised by a teenage mother, even one with family support and lots of cash besides. Apparently Jamie Lynn should try to put this whole silly mistake behind her and move on with her life, because teenagers don’t get attached to their babies and anyway, it is All For The Best. “Jamie Lynn will be back at work and trying to remind people of her talent and not that she is an unwed teenage mother”. This thinking is all sooooo retrograde, you’d think we still dashed pregnant teenagers off to homes for the unwed mother. But it is permanently open season for teenage pregnancy. The idea that being pregnant is tragic or a sign of stupidity and that having sex is shameful and disappointing; there is a lot you can’t say in polite company these days about your bigoted views on women’s sexuality unless you’re talking about a teenage mother.

There is always the possibility that Jamie Lynn Spears really has made a well-informed decision to give up her child to her mother when it is born (or even that the whole rumour is fabricated). But with all this talk of her pregnancy as a moral scandal threatening the purity of her young fans, and the thrill of pondering whether being the kind of girl who gets herself pregnant she might also be the kind of girl to be sleeping around (ie. who is the father-to-be of her baby) - it is disturbing to think how disempowered she might be feeling about her pregnancy and, to what degree she is responding to our intense pressure on her to do the 1950s thing.

Ariel Gore, well-known motherhood writer and previous young mother herself’, rolls her eyes thoughtfully at the media response to Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy in “congratulations, Jamie Lynn”

And, you know, even if you’ve got a hundred reasons why teen parenting isn’t a good idea—don’t you think it’s rude to share your opinions with expecting moms?

The decks are stacked against teen parents. We all know that. So why not unstack the decks instead of making everyone feel bad on top of it all?

I guess I just wanted to remind everyone that when you hear that someone is pregnant, no matter her age, marital status, sexual orientation, or financial situation, the correct response is:

CONGRATULATIONS.

What is the effect of media broadcasting celebrity teen pregnancy on teens?

Ever since the teen sister of pop star Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, came out with her news about being pregnant at 16, the paparazzi have gotten their fair share of photographs and headlines have been posted.

Now what is the effect of celebrity teen pregnancy on today’s teenagers? Jamie Spears is the star of Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101,” a show made particularly for a teen audience. And with fans like this and young teen girls that adore her, it can come off as quite confusing to them when their idol becomes pregnant so early. This may make some teen girls think that getting pregnant at such a young age is not as bad is it seems. But this of course would be the wrong message.


A lot of people have been pressuring her as a negative influence to the young teen girls out there but she could actually also be a teen following the trend of teen pregnancy in 2006 and not making it. The teen birth rate in 2006 increased by 3 percent compared to the year before. It was the first increase of its kind in more than a decade according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These statistics may come as a shock to many but even the professionals in healthcare are not totally certain about their interpretations of these numbers.

According to Reuters, Stephanie Ventura, a center official remarked "It's way too early to know if this is the start of a new trend. But given the long-term progress we have witnessed, the change is notable."

But although some experts speculate that Spears may be part of the rising pattern in teen pregnancy, her pregnancy may break through the existing taboo regarding teen sex.

Child psychologist Judy Korianski told Reuters, "This is a very shocking and bad lesson for kids."

The amount of attention that Jamie is getting regarding her pregnancy could also spark a positive focus on the issue wherein the realities of teen sex and pregnancy could be discussed. Because of her popularity, counselors or teachers, even parents could use her predicament as the starting point of important conversations regarding sex education. More importantly, keeping a teenager well-informed is a good point that parents should take from Spears’ situation. Use whatever negativity that may lie in this occurrence in a positive way.

The Daily Telegraph: Keisha Castle-Hughes defends her teen pregnancy

March 10, 2008 12:00am

BECOMING the poster girl for teenage pregnancy was never on Keisha Castle-Hughes' "to do" list but then again neither was going down in history as the youngest female ever nominated for the best actress Oscar.

Stepping out in Sydney for the Australian premiere of Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger yesterday, the young celebrity mum, 17, defended her position as a role model for girls after falling pregnant at 16.

"I have a job to do and there are other things that come with it that you don't sign up for," Castle-Hughes told film writer Erin McWhirter at the Westfield Bondi Junction screening.

"I respect other people's opinions and decisions and I hope that they respect mine."

The Whale Rider actress, who was born in Western Australia and moved to New Zealand at four, admitted she was shocked at the public backlash she received over her pregnancy.

Now, happily playing mum to her 11-month-old daughter Felicity Amore with long-term boyfriend Bradley Hull, the actress says no amount of controversy could spoil her role as a mum.

"It's amazing I have learned so much and I am so much happier. The happiest I have ever been.

"I can't even imagine I existed before becoming a mother," Castle-Hughes said.

In Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger, Castle-Hughes plays effortlessly cool girl Sunni opposite big screen newcomer Danielle Catanzariti in the title role - a teenager on the quest to fit in.

Media Discussion On Teen Parent Rights

May 23, 2001



In the mid-eighties when I was growing up there was an onslaught in the media about teen moms, how horrible they were and how messed up their kids would be. Teen moms (and dads) were practically cast as the harbingers of the end of society as we know it. There were predictions that their children would be nothing but school drop-outs, criminals, and go on to breed another generation of the under-class. The whole war against teen moms was based on the fact that so many young women were keeping their babies, choosing to raise them despite the odds, often as single mothers. The world considered them selfish and greedy for not wanting to abandon their children, for loving and wanting to cherish their children in the same way that older moms do. No, it was not a war against teen pregnancy, but against teen parenthood. Had the bulk of these young moms given their children up for adoption, which by default means abandoning them up to older people, there would have nary been a ripple of news.
By the time I had by daughter in 1989, the media had backed off a bit and teen pregnancy was not spotlighted so frequently in the news. By the end of the 1990's, politicians, educators, and more were discussing the "success" of programs designed to curtail teen pregnancy and teen sexual behavior. They felt these programs were successful because the number of teens giving birth had dropped considerably since the eighties. I have no issues with any of these programs, and certainly would never encourage any teen to become pregnant on purpose or engage in sex. But I think the success of these programs depends more on teens being more consistent with condom use to avoid sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV than out of avoidance of pregnancy.

Now that we are firmly into the new century, I see the pendulum swinging back the other way. The media has stepped up once again to wage war on teen moms. Now that welfare has been reformed, no one can argue that they are leeches on society's coffers, that is, if they are, it won't be for long. The main argument today is that teens are automatically unfit to parent and should not be given any encouragement or support. They should be counseled into either abortion or adoption, depending on your political/personal view. I think this is a shame.

Media Discussion On Teen Parent Rights

May 23, 2001



In the mid-eighties when I was growing up there was an onslaught in the media about teen moms, how horrible they were and how messed up their kids would be. Teen moms (and dads) were practically cast as the harbingers of the end of society as we know it. There were predictions that their children would be nothing but school drop-outs, criminals, and go on to breed another generation of the under-class. The whole war against teen moms was based on the fact that so many young women were keeping their babies, choosing to raise them despite the odds, often as single mothers. The world considered them selfish and greedy for not wanting to abandon their children, for loving and wanting to cherish their children in the same way that older moms do. No, it was not a war against teen pregnancy, but against teen parenthood. Had the bulk of these young moms given their children up for adoption, which by default means abandoning them up to older people, there would have nary been a ripple of news.
By the time I had by daughter in 1989, the media had backed off a bit and teen pregnancy was not spotlighted so frequently in the news. By the end of the 1990's, politicians, educators, and more were discussing the "success" of programs designed to curtail teen pregnancy and teen sexual behavior. They felt these programs were successful because the number of teens giving birth had dropped considerably since the eighties. I have no issues with any of these programs, and certainly would never encourage any teen to become pregnant on purpose or engage in sex. But I think the success of these programs depends more on teens being more consistent with condom use to avoid sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV than out of avoidance of pregnancy.

Now that we are firmly into the new century, I see the pendulum swinging back the other way. The media has stepped up once again to wage war on teen moms. Now that welfare has been reformed, no one can argue that they are leeches on society's coffers, that is, if they are, it won't be for long. The main argument today is that teens are automatically unfit to parent and should not be given any encouragement or support. They should be counseled into either abortion or adoption, depending on your political/personal view. I think this is a shame.

American Idol Success..Fantasia Barrino Single Mother Wins

May 31, 2004



This year's American Idol was filled with an array of amazing talent. It wasn't until the Three Divas, Latoya London, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson were at the bottom three when America knew that this competition was unpredictable.
The finale two were Fantasia Barrino and Diane De Garmo; two powerhouses soaring to become the next American Idol. Fantasia singing "Summertime," a blues melody that put a knot in everyone's throat, and Diana De Garmo singing the famous "No More Tears," originally sung by Donna Summer and Barbara Streisand.

America chose Fantasia Barrino to be the next American Idol. A young Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, and a voice similar to Macey Gray; this young girl was a star to be born.

But, what really burned me was when I was listening to my local radio station, a woman came on and said that Fantasia wasn't an American Idol. She felt that someone who was an unwed mother and on food stamps shouldn't get the American Idol title. This blew me away.

Fantasia, a nineteen-year old mother of a two-year old daughter, to me, did what she had to do to support herself and her child. She had a dream and she fulfilled it successfully and honestly. She earned that title and she deserves it.

There is one thing when a person depends on the government and does nothing to better themself, but this young mom went for her dream, she had talent, and it paid off. She deserves every success that comes her way.

It amazes me when people will say such negative things about other people, as if they are perfect and no one else is. But, in reality, no one is perfect; we do what we can to survive and we make the best of it.

My hat goes off to all the young moms who do make a difference, who work hard to support their children no matter what they have to do to support them. Whether a single mom waitresses for a living, sells Avon, works in a factory, and even applies for social services, they are doing the best they can to support their children and provide them shelter and food.

Teen mum-to-be finds partner hanged...Are Teenage Mums Blamed For Violence?

Jan 9 2008 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo

A TEENAGE dad-to-be has been found hanged just three months before the birth of his baby daughter.

The body of 17-year-old Paul Briggs, known as “Briggsy”, was discovered by his pregnant girlfriend Kyra Applin in her bedroom.

Kyra, 15, who is due to give birth in April, said today: “He was so happy looking at the scan picture, he couldn’t wait for our baby to be born.”

Police are not treating Paul’s death at Kyra’s home in Ferndale, Rhondda, in the early hours of Sunday morning as suspicious.

Today, she spoke of the young couple’s joy when they learned she was pregnant in July, three months after they began seeing each other.

Kyra said: “We were both really looking forward to it. We found out on December 19 that I was having a girl when I had a scan at Llwynypia Hospital.

“We held hands, we were both really excited. We even talked about names. I liked Michaela but Briggsy wanted Mia, so now I’m going to call her Mia.”

Doctors have given Kyra, who goes to a school for expectant mothers in Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, two possible due dates, one of which is April 17 – the day before Paul would have turned 18.

“I’m hoping she comes on Paul’s birthday, that would be nice,” said Kyra.

Paul, a Liverpool FC fan, lived with his grandparents Tom and Patricia Jones in Ynyshir, Rhondda, while his mum Angela El-Masri lives on Anglesey.

Angela, who has two other sons, Karl, 24, and Pip, 14, said Paul was a loving, affectionate son who was excited about the pregnancy.

“He said to me, ‘I can’t wait mam, I could see the baby’s heart beating on the monitor’,” she told the Echo.

“Paul was a mammy’s boy who would tell me he loved me in a room full of people. The last words he said to me were, ‘Mam, I love you’.”

Angela, 45, learned of her middle son’s death in a harrowing phone call on Sunday.

She said: “I couldn’t stop screaming, it was as if Hiroshima had happened in my heart or somebody had stuck a dagger in my chest.

“I couldn’t take in what I was hearing, I was on my knees rocking back and forth. I was inconsolable.”

Angela believes Paul hanged himself accidentally and never meant to kill himself. She added: “He had everything to live for. Can you count how many stars there are in the sky? That’s how much I’m going to miss him.”

Paul’s best friend Nathan Applin, 17, said: “He was lovely, one of the nicest boys you could meet and he had a heart of gold.

“We used to play football together, just chilling out. He wouldn’t have done this on purpose, it was an accident. He was so chuffed about the baby, he was bouncing everyday and he loves his girl to bits.”

Paul’s grandfather Tom, 78, said his grandson’s death and had affected so many people and left a community in mourning.

“He was so full of life and would do anything for anybody. My wife and I brought him up as our own. He was a lovely boy,” he said.

A post-mortem examination was yesterday carried out at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant.

Paul’s funeral will be held on Tuesday at 12.15pm at Bethany Chapel, Ynyshir.

BBC NEWS

As calls are made for sex education to be compulsory in all schools Kizzy Neal, 15, is one teenager with a lot on her plate - exams, boyfriends and looking after her seven-month-old son.
She was in her best friend's bedroom when she found out she was pregnant, in the summer of 2006. She was 13.

"I didn't stop crying for three weeks and I was really, really scared," says Kizzy, who is now 15. "I knew I'd done something wrong. Thirteen is not the ideal age to have a baby."

She had been fearful after having sex for the first time, unprotected, with Louie.

"Since I got pregnant, I've learnt so much about contraception, abortions and sex but at school I think I had so few sex education lessons."

While the father of her child rejected being a dad and moved away from Torbay in Devon, Kizzy never considered having her pregnancy terminated.




Kizzy: Mum at 14
As it went on, she became the target of abuse from people. She was spat at and her brothers were attacked because, her father Kevin believes, she chose not to have an abortion.

She lost friends because of her pregnancy, but the girls who had abused her changed their behaviour after she had baby Kaylib in May.

"When I was pregnant it was like 'You little so-and-so' but when I had the baby they were round the pram saying: 'Isn't he beautiful?'

"It was a bit two-faced. Without a baby I didn't want to go out of the house and I was scared, but as soon as I had the baby, the people I was scared of were coming up, being really nice to me."

The birth itself, in May, was the best moment of her life, she says.

"When they put him on my chest, I was so overwhelmed, you don't know whether to smile or cry or laugh or scream, you don't know what to do. It gives you a warm feeling in your tummy."

Sacrifices

From that moment on, says Kizzy's mother Kerry, who is in her 40s, the atmosphere changed. "There was so much negativity about Kizzy having the baby in the first place, then when he was born there was so much joy and excitement and everyone loves him."

Kizzy returned to college in September, leaving her mother to look after Kaylib while she studies for six GCSEs. She wants to be a member of Parliament but if that doesn't happen, to be an occupational therapist.

But although Kizzy may look like any other student in the classroom, she is constantly reminded of her responsibilities as a parent because of the sacrifices she has to make and what she describes as her lost childhood.

"I miss being able to get up and go out when I want to and doing teenage things. I can't do these things as much anymore but I do get help from mum and dad so I get the chance to be a child as well as a mum."

It's hard to let go of your childhood

Kizzy Neal

She has made a programme with BBC Three about her experience to show other teenage girls that motherhood is "not all about cute babies, it's hard work.

"It's hard to let go of your childhood, you have to break away from that, you have grow up really fast, you have to mature quickly. It's hard getting to grips with being a mum and how to look after your child the best you can."

It's even harder without a father, and earlier this year Kizzy took Kaylib to Southend to meet his dad. On her way home, it struck Kizzy that the two probably wouldn't meet again.

"I was thinking about the baby growing up without a dad and thought I'd let him down. It's ideal to have a mum and a dad and to have a proper environment but it's very different for me. He's got as much love as he needs, even without a dad."

Giving out condoms

Kizzy's story is not uncommon in the UK, which has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in western Europe.

There were 46,215 girls under 18 who became pregnant in 2005, according to the Family Planning Association.

On average four out of 10 pregnant girls have the baby. But the teen conception rate is falling and sexual education is working, says Brook sexual health charity's chief executive Simon Blake.


Kizzy's parents help look after Kaylib
"It is reducing. We've got a teenage pregnancy strategy that is working. Good quality sexual education and access to services is a real part of the solution."

Last week, campaigners called for sex and relationships education to be made compulsory in all schools. The Terrence Higgins Trust, the NSPCC and the National Union of Teachers said no schools should be able to "opt out of delivering good sex and relationships education to their pupils".

Kizzy believes her school takes the wrong approach by too readily giving out condoms and "promoting sex".


It is claimed 11 other girls at the school also became pregnant, which the school strongly denies.

The school says it devotes considerable resources to sex education and says part of its message is to teach youngsters to delay having sex until in a stable, loving relationship. It also has a confidential drop-in centre called Tic Tac that offers advice on sexual health, abortion and contraception.

Tic Tac has been held up by the government as a model of good practice but Kizzy's father Kevin believes its work undermines a parent's efforts to instil abstinence in a child. His daughter accepts it was her mistake but her fears that having Kaylib meant the "end of fun" have not been realised.

"Every day that goes by," she says, "there's something he does that makes me laugh."

The Observer: Violence blamed on teenage mums

Study claims that immature young parents with poor discipline techniques are creating aggressive children
Mark Townsend
The Observer, Sunday October 16 2005 Article history
Britain's high rate of teenage pregnancies is a principal factor in the cause of violent crime, according to a controversial report by a leading criminologist.

Speaking before the launch of one of the largest ever studies into violence, its author George Hosking said that parents under 16 were contributing to 'a cycle' of aggression that meant people were 25 times more likely to be a victim of violence than 50 years ago. His comments were denounced by many as demonising young parents.

Hosking referred to evidence that a person's propensity to violence is determined by the age of three. He said that teenage parents can lack 'emotional maturity' and misjudged attempts at discipline could lead to their children developing violent tendencies. A strong, healthy relationship between parents and babies is vital to reducing aggression, he said.

'More and more children are being born to younger parents who have no reference to draw on in how to handle a baby,' said Hosking, a clinical criminologist and chief executive of the Wave Trust, a charity dedicated to tackling the root causes of violence and which this week will unveil its nine-year study into the issue.

He added: 'Lower emotional maturity, lower emotional reserves and experience or maturity that people can draw on as parents play a role. People treated particularly badly under the age of three were more likely to go on and abuse as adults. Early intervention is required to stop a cycle of violence from developing.'

Despite government attempts to tackle teenage pregnancies, Britain still has one of the highest rates in Europe. Latest figures reveal that the rate of under-16-year-old pregnancies in England and Wales has increased.

Although Hosking said he wanted to avoid being seen as critical of parents, his views will be interpreted by some as yet another attack on teenage mothers and fathers.

Catherine Evans of the Brook Centre said: 'There is a real risk of demonising teenage parents who are doing their very best for their children. They need support rather than being undermined or criticised. Teenage parents themselves are likely to have fewer educational opportunities and that is likely to have a knock-on effect on the outcomes of their children, but I am not aware of any evidence on the effects of teenage pregnancies.'

However Norman Wells, director of Family and Youth Concern, a research group that looks into the causes of family breakdown, said: 'It certainly could be a factor. It shows the importance of addressing the high rates of out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancies that we have in this country.'

The Wave Trust report, which analysed scores of academic studies into the causes of violence, claims that people are 25 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime now compared to the Fifties. Based on official police statistics, the study calculated that in 1950 there were 47 violent offences per thousand people compared to 1,158 for 2003/2004.

Hosking, who is 61, added: 'When I was walking around in the Fifties compared with walking around now we are looking at levels of risk and violence way beyond what was present at that time.

'Comparisons are now being made using the Nineties as a yardstick, yet violence then was many, many times higher than in the Fifties. We should be looking to that decade for a normal, acceptable level of violence,' said Hosking.

The increasing risk of violence contradict the findings of the British Crime Survey, which indicates that violent crime is going down. A spokesperson at the Home Office would not comment without having seen the methodology used by the Wave Trust.

However, he said: 'The British Crime Survey is regarded internationally as the most reliable measure of trends of crime. It shows violent crime is actually falling and has reached its lowest point since 1981.'

Critical Research

For my critical research i have came to a decision that I will be doing a critical research study surrounding the issue of 'Children and the Media'. I am mostly interested in finding out the answer and reasons to why teenage mums are presented so negatively within the media. However there is a likely chance that I might choose to look into the issue of how violence is blamed on teenage mums through poor upbringing. I am planning to evaluate the different stereotypes of teenage mums that are being portrayed through the media and how most teenage mum are blamed for the society not functioning right due to the poor upbringing of the next generation. I want to look into documentaries and focus on how the teenage mums challenge their stereotype or do they simply tend to comply with it.