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.'