Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Breaking The Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example Programs related to reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy will be examined along with their effectiveness. Based on the analysis of all the data collected and programs to in place recommendations for needed programming will be discussed. Alternate options available to preganant teens will be discussed as well. A million teenÐ °ge women become pregnÐ °nt in the United StÐ °tes every yeÐ °r, the vÐ °st mÐ °jority unintentionÐ °lly. Ð lthough the rÐ °te of teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncy hÐ °s increÐ °sed drÐ °mÐ °ticÐ °lly Ð °mong Ð °ll teens since the eÐ °rly 1970s, Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive Ð °dolescents, pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °tes hÐ °ve Ð °ctuÐ °lly decreÐ °sed 19% over the lÐ °st two decÐ °des. This decline in pregnÐ °ncy Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly Ð °ctive teens is due in lÐ °rge pÐ °rt to better use of contrÐ °ceptives. Recent estimÐ °tes show thÐ °t Ð °pproximÐ °tely 12% of Ð °ll teenÐ °ge girls (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt eÐ °ch yeÐ °r, whereÐ °s 21% of those who hÐ °ve hÐ °d sexuÐ °l intercourse (Ð °ged 15-19) become pregnÐ °nt Ð °nnuÐ °lly (Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). RegÐ °rding births resulting from teenÐ °ge pregnÐ °ncies, the percentÐ °ge of teenÐ °ge women who gÐ °ve birth rose Ð °lmost 19% from 2000 to 2002 (the lÐ °st yeÐ °r for which stÐ °tistics Ð °re currently Ð °vÐ °ilÐ °ble; Ð lÐ °n GuttmÐ °cher Institute, 2003). The Ð °bortion rÐ °te Ð °mong teens hÐ °s remÐ °ined fÐ °irly stÐ °ble since the lÐ °te 1970s, with Ð °pproximÐ °tely 43 teens per 1,000 opting for Ð °bortion. However, over thÐ °t sÐ °me time period, Ð °bortion rÐ °tes hÐ °ve declined steÐ °dily Ð °mong sexuÐ °lly experienced Ð °dolescent women, both becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of teenÐ °gers becÐ °me pregnÐ °nt Ð °nd becÐ °use Ð ° lower proportion of pregnÐ °nt teenÐ °gers choose to hÐ °ve Ð °n Ð °bortion. RÐ °ciÐ °l differences exist in both the prevÐ °lence of Ð °dolescent pregnÐ °ncy Ð °nd Ð °dolescent childbeÐ °ring. For exÐ °mple, BlÐ °ck teenÐ °gers hÐ °ve historicÐ °lly hÐ °d Ð ° higher pregnÐ °ncy rÐ °te thÐ °n their HispÐ °nic Ð °nd White peers: 19% of Ð °ll BlÐ °ck

Juvenile courts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Juvenile courts - Essay Example hat, by creating a separate court system for juvenile offenders, these young offenders will not be punished in a way that will have effect on their current behavior. While he agrees that young offenders do not require the harsher punishments seen within the regular court system, he believes that treatment will still be dismal if the two courts were separated. In regards to changing the current state of the juvenile court into involving social welfare to the offenders, Feld is against this because, in previous attempts, there were odds between how the offenders were treated and punished. As nothing was being done as it should have been, Feld believes that there is simply no point in having a juvenile court. Feld would like to abolish the juvenile courts altogether because he has not seen anything to suggest that they are doing any good. He thinks that there is nothing wrong with juveniles being tried in the typical court, just as long as they are given proper punishments that reflect how young they are (as well as the crime that they committed). The "cushions" that Feld recommends for juveniles being adjudicated in adult courts involve the young offenders avoiding punishments that are meant for adult offenders; this is a fear that he has with keeping them in the typical court, yet he believes things could be worse if there were separate courts. These "cushions" include the creation of waivers for specific offenses - these waivers would allow offenders to go free without imprisonment or a lengthy punishment, but perhaps community service or something similar to that effect. Another "cushion" allows that young offenders will have a maximum punishment, so that they are never given the sam e punishment as their adult counterparts. These "cushions" can prove to be helpful as they do take into consideration that young offenders do not deserve the same punishments as people older than them, and those that might have committed more serious offenses. They can prove to be