BABY'S BABE
Published on: 10/23/07.
by TRACY MOORE
WOMEN who "allow men to sleep with their 12- and 13-year-old children and turn a blind eye because money is coming in "aren't mothers, they are "children-getters".
President of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Karen Best, gave the stinging indictment yesterday, as she responded to the recent reported results from a three-year study that examined the theme Risk Perception And Sexual Practices Among Teenagers In Barbados. The study revealed that 85 per cent of children between the ages of 15 and 18 were sexually active.
"We have a society that does not want to recognise what is happening to it and deal with it. That is the problem that we have," Best said in an interview at the Ministry of Education's symposium themed Principals On Positive Behaviour Management In Schools, held at Grand Barbados Beach Resort, Aquatic Gap, St Michael.
The study also shows 15 per cent of teenagers saying clothes, peer pressure and money were reasons leading to sexual activity, and that some of the money was used to pay their parents' bills.
In the same forum, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Tom Olsen, described the "approximate" 15 to 20 per cent teenage pregnancy rate in Barbados as "just not acceptable".
"It's a dark area that really needs talking about, although no one wants to talk about it. People are afraid to talk about incest, or why their 13- or 14-year-old daughter is pregnant. It is usually a neighbour, family member or an older man who will pay for a certain service.
"Having a 14-year-old girl pregnant is below the legal age . . . . It needs to be dealt with by the authorities because it is a growing concern," he stated.
Olsen said the problem stemmed from lack of economical, social and educational resources.
However, UNICEF is working with governments and stakeholders in St Kitts and Grenada to implement a teenage programme to assist young single mothers.
"We are looking at how we can assure that the child, if pregnant, can continue her education. That is most important. An uneducated mother is more likely to make sure that her child follows in the same steps that she has gone, but if she is educated she has more options," he explained.
Unfortunately, according to Olsen, the programme has not been implemented in Barbados "because of resources and [the issue] is not as forceful".
tracymoore@nationnews.com
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