13-year-old dad sparks controversy

The UK has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe. So why is this young man having a child such a big deal? Probably because Alfie Patten was only 12 years old when his 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Steadman conceived. The couple seems ignorant of the actual necessities for raising a child. Neither has a source of income--unless you count the ten euros he receives from his father as allowance. They are oblivious to reality and actually believe that they can give this baby a "great future". As the both expect to stay in school, child-rearing will fall on their parents list of responsibilities.

Where has adolescence gone? Children are having children. Clearly children are not being sexually educated soon enough to prevent this from happening. Also, there is almost a glamour aspect to having a child. Teenagers are wanting children because it is associated with being adult, with having more freedoms and especially their own place. Teenagers should not be contemplating parenthood as CNN.com reports.

Former Conservative party leader Duncan Smith said ""It's not being accusative; it's about pointing out the complete collapse in some parts of society of any sense of what's right and wrong. There is no opprobrium any more about behavior, and quite often, children witness behavior that's aggressive, violent, rude and sexual. It's as if no one is saying this is wrong."

Teenage pregnancy should not be glamorized and education needs to be improved. These children have no idea how hard parenthood is, they don't realize its not an excuse to be treated like an adult--it takes you straight from carefree childhood into adulthood with responsibilities, bills, money worries, sleepless nights, etc. I don't know how they conduct sex education in the UK, but if their teen pregnancy rate is the highest in Western Europe they clearly need to try alternative methods of education.