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Society Should Assume Greater Responsibility for Teenage Pregnancies
Introduction
The family institution, which is the bedrock of society, has witnessed significant alterations in
the twenty-first century. The fall of the household creates a plethora of social and cultural
problems and pathology. Individuals’ choices such as divorce, illegitimacy, same-sex marriages,
single-parenthood, and teenage pregnancies have changed the family institution and altered the
social landscape in many societies (Friel 860). Such choices have led to the rise of early
pregnancies in the community. The present paper examines whether the community should
assume greater responsibility for teenage pregnancies and the children they bear.
Illegitimate births present a challenging social problem. Most social commentators posit that
children born out of wedlock often have high infant mortality rate, low birth weight, high
chances of being poor, drop out of school, indulge in substance abuse and crime, and have
elevated levels of illiteracy (Sadler, Gina, and Mikki 230). The society should bear the
responsibility of preventing teenage pregnancies and approve marriages. The community should
come to terms with the relationship between family structures and the declining child well-being.
Sadler, Gina, and Mikki (230) argue that despite the increasing number of government and other
agency programs that promote children’s’ welfare, the society should play an integral role in
preventing early pregnancies.
