Baby-faced boy is father at 13

[yellowetpink]

I know this is judgemental..but you can kinda tell what sort of people they are because they sold their story to the press

[dumbfairy]

Originally Posted by leyla m.

I blame the parents, sorry!

I agree with you here. The fact that the parents themselves have X-amount of children each doubtless by different fathers/mothers doesn't set a good example. I hate how there is very little stigma attached to this kind of situation now.

[SingFrAbsolution]

Wow when I first heard about this I laughed, but looking at those pictures I'm very disturbed.

[lunabella]

not uncommon here in the usa.

[Miss Dalloway]

Completly disgusted by this, and yes i blame the parents aswell, can not fathom the fact that he had sex at that age.The boy seriously looks 8, and she makes me sick!

[XxpinktinksxX]

^It is a sick situation like i said before he's still a child him self. It's so sad. He looks soooo much younger it's so scary just to think that a 12 year old boy would have sex. It is very disturbing!!

[Lamia]

I have no comment to this story,it's just sick.

[*Hypnotic*]

I'm sorry but the girl looks like his MOTHER! This is really unfortunate...these
kids need to be kids! ....I bet you, check back in a few years and the girl will
have more kids....possibly with multi men........

And I don't get why people think this happens only in Britain?...You kidding me, we
have crazy stuff like this in the US as well!!

[XxpinktinksxX]

^Things like this will go on all over the world!!

[Working Girl]

Why all the harsh words only for her? All the comments of him being to young also applies to her.

[tigerrouge]

Originally Posted by yellowetpink

I know this is judgemental..but you can kinda tell what sort of people they are because they sold their story to the press

I've become so cynical that I started thinking that he's not the father at all, but they've realised staging this set-up will cause such controversy, it might turn out to be a real money-spinner for them - interviews and all the rest.

In a way, that would exploiting the media's need to point at them and say "look at those stupid people from a certain social class".

And the lad looks very small for his age, so the story is actually a physical freak show going under the disguise of moral outrage. There have been numerous super-young fathers, but they didn't make the news because they looked normal.

At my school, you were told your life was over if you had a kid - you were thrown out of education. You were seen as someone who should be ashamed of themselves. But being human, teens still managed to get themselves pregnant. And a strict and disapproving approach does nothing to improve the situation for a young mother or father. The world does not stop turning if someone has a child, and once it's arrived, she needs to get herself back into education, and hopefully rely on her extended family and local resources to help with childcare.

I would save my disapproval and concern for the cultures in the world where it's routine for a girl to be married off at 13 or so, with little say in the matter, not some teen parents in a country where the baby will get looked after, benefits will get paid to them, and no-one's going to starve or die of malaria.

Next week in the same newspapers, they'll go back to lecturing thirtysomething women about leaving it too late to have kids, because they are selfishly interested in having careers and being financially independent.

[tigerrouge]

Some general findings from an article in The Times (thetimes.co.uk):

A child who has become one of Britain’s youngest fathers has reignited concerns about the rate of teenage pregnancies and the sexualisation of children at increasingly early ages.

Alfie Patten was only 12 when his girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman, 15, conceived after unprotected sex. In the past decade, more than 40 other boys aged under 14 have fathered children.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics also show that four boys aged 11 have had children in recent years.

Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. A total of 385 girls under the age of 14 became pregnant between 1998 and 2007.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle5728807.ece

[ckashie]

Originally Posted by yellowetpink

I know this is judgemental..but you can kinda tell what sort of people they are because they sold their story to the press

I don't judge them for doing this- they need all the money and help they can get. By selling their story they will get some money (it's not like they have an income) and maybe some companies will provide then with donations. How can you blame them for trying to provide for their child? If you were in the situation, you'd be desperate for money, too. Kids are expensive! I judge a celebrity for doing this, because they don't need the money (unless they do what Brangelina does and donate it) and just want publicity, whereas these kids actually need help.

I find it stupid that every article mentions that the boy was only 12 when the baby was conceived, but not that the girl was 14. It's like 15 makes her sound that little bit worse. And doesn't anyone care what her story is? Apparantly not. She is still only 15, it's not 13 but that is still very young to have a child! Instead of going on about why she could possibly be attracted to him, maybe people should think about her circumstances.

Another article from The Sun revealing that his sister had a baby when she was 13. Typical that the article tries to make out that Chantelle Stedman (the baby's mother) is a slut

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-baby-age.html

[eternitygoddess]

This is just messed up.

You can't possibly judge or criticize the parents b/c they're kids themselves!

It's like a pair of toddlers raising an infant.

Dear god.

And the sister was a mother at 13? The family needs some help.

[AnaBGD]

If it really runs in the family they'll be grandparents before they're 30