Teen Pregnancy/Statutory Rape Case Study

On the issue of abortion with the 19-year old rape victim, I feel that she has a right to choose whether or not to go through with the abortion. As her counselor I have to put my personal feelings aside and help her to make the best decision for herself. My client is firm in her plans to have the abortion and since she is an adult her parents have no legal right to make her change her mind. I am unable to convince the parents to change their minds as they are not my clients and I have no input in how they feel. According to the ACA (2005) I must be sensitive to the family’s cultural beliefs and in the

One community member, Jay Coffelt, is a long-term resident of Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri. Jay is passionate about researching and awareness of issues like teen pregnancy at the county, state, and national levels. Although not directly involved as a parent of a pregnant teen and not being a teen himself, Mr. Coffelt’s community passion is beneficial in providing insight to the level of community empowerment present in Jackson County, Missouri with regards to a major health issue like teen pregnancy. From a community members’ perspective, it was noted that there seems to be a lack of resources available to pregnant teens and their families as well as a lack of ways community members can be involved in the issue. When asked about his ability to participate in decision making regarding teen pregnancy or to attend forums discussing teen pregnancy, Mr. Coffelt was unsure if those resources were available to him. Another important finding from Mr. Coffelt’s interview was the frequent comparisons he made to an adjacent county in Kansas. Having lived in both counties, Mr. Coffelt was able to recall more available resources, awareness, and guidance for teen health and community members in the adjacent Kansas county compared to Jackson County in Missouri. Through the interview, it was determined that Mr. Coffelt felt an increased level of empowerment. According to Clark, “...empowered individuals gain new skills and power to influence others and to affect the outcomes of

In this paper, I argue that Roper can be reconciled with adult-like reproductive rights for pregnant minors. To do so, I will draw two useful distinctions. First, I distinguish between the psychological competencies that a minor draws upon when engaging in criminal conduct versus when deciding whether to abort or carry a pregnancy to term. Although minors are immature in ways that render them less culpable for their criminal behavior, they are mature in ways that render them capable of making autonomous decisions about their pregnancies, including the decision to abort. Second, I highlight the differences between the decision-making contexts at issue. While decisions to engage in criminal conduct are often made in circumstances that elicit impulsivity, emotional arousal, and social coercion, decisions to obtain an abortion are more generally made in circumstances that allow for unhurried, logical reflection. This more nuanced account of juvenile decision-making competencies and their relevance to particular decision-making contexts can provide the basis for a more coherent body of children’s rights law.

The number of teen pregnancies in Texas by race/ethnicity in 2015 are just as diverse. Teen pregnancy to Non-Hispanic White females was 7,376. Teen pregnancy to Non-Hispanic Black female was 4,619. Teen pregnancy to Hispanic was 22,745. Teen pregnancy to American Indian/Alaska Native was 127 and Asian/Pacific Islander was 267. The rate of teen pregnancies in 2015 by age are girls under 15 was 1 percent, girls 15-17 was 30 percent and girls 18-19 was 69 percent.

Teen pregnancy has become a problem over the past decade. This issue can be looked at using sociological imagination. C. Write Mills explaing the idea of sociological imagination as the ability to see the connection between personal experiences and larger society. On a personal level, teens with children experience many difficulties juggling the responsibilities of parenting, school, work, and everything else. The teenage years can be very complicated, but adding a child to the mix can really impact young men and women’s relationships, emotions, and future. Looking at this problem on a public level, society has a huge role in preventing teen pregnancies. Also, the media plays a large role in influencing teenagers to engage in sexual activities.Many

There are debates on whether or not the laws for statutory rape are strict enough. The age of consensual sex varies from state to state. In some states the age of consent is 16 while others start at the age of 17. Though many of these teens may be physically ready to engage in sex, many of them are not mentally prepared. In their article, “Enforce Statutory Rape Laws to Curb Teen Sex”, Kathleen Sylvester and Jonathan O’Connell talk about relationships between 12, 13 and 14 year old girls and sexually mature men who are inherently unequal, often coercive and almost always damaging. Many of these girls find themselves engaging in sexual activities with much older men. Until stricter laws are put into place, as well as parents explaining these

Discuss the need of parents to be involved in John’s life to be there to answer questions and concerns when they arise.

The perspective offered by such longitudinal data sheds remarkable light on the "problem" of statutory rape, identifying for us key markers, as well as key actors, in the history of the law's enforcement and helping us to understand their roles in constructing the meaning of this crime over successive generations. ... The statutory rape codes have been used at various times to reinforce fathers' interests in their daughters' marriageability, to protect young women's chastity from seductive men, to control promiscuous or disease-laden adolescent females, to enhance child support collection efforts, to reduce teenage pregnancy, and to identify and punish sexual exploitation of teenagers. ... Given the constant state of jockeying, compromise and

Statutory rape refers to sexual relations involving someone below the "age of consent." People below the age of consent cannot legally consent to having sex. This means that sex with them, by definition, violates the law.

According to the California Law, statutory rape is having sexual relations with a “child” or “minor” anyone who is below the age of consent. Committing this crime can result in imprisonment and cause the defendant to be charged with a felony even if they weren 't previously aware of the age of the victim at the time in which the act was done. When a statutory rape case is being evaluated, the victim must be under the age of 18 or under the age of consent and the one presenting the case must have proof that sexual intercourse occurred. The reason why this law was put into play was because in the eyes of the government it is believed that unless one is over the age of consent, they are physically and mentally incapable of giving consent to any sexual activities. Although the amendment states that all men are created equal, there is still an existing gender bias favoring women when it comes down to who commits the crime.

The accusation of statutory rape can insult both parties involved when the case is of a completely consensual & committed relationship. Since the year 2003 the legality is expected to be easily understood, if one person isn’t giving consent, with the capacity to do so, and the other involved does not think there’s consent, that is an offence. So when two people in a committed relationship are being punished for something that any other normal couple could do without such extreme consequences, is the statutory rape law really just?

Teen pregnancy is a growing epidemic in the United States. Teen girls are becoming pregnant at an alarming rate, with a lot of the pregnancies planned. With television shows broadcasting shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”, it is giving teenage girls the idea that it is alright to have premarital sex and become pregnant. It is in a way condoning teen pregnancy.

Explaining how some sex crimes captured the level of attention like the Amber Hagerman murder, Lindbergh kidnapping, and even Megan Kanka case here in New Jersey result in so much attention, and others don't is a hard subject? The big problem one can point out is mostly the Media and the politicians. First off, for the Media, if it not profitable or will not boast ratings, then they will not report it. It is the Media’s job to report news to us, still every event has factors that raised the level of attention it should receive. The factors like Who, Where, and How makes the headliners. Who was the victim or who was the offender is the big key points for the Media? Were the victim’s parents a celebrity or offender a celebrity? Was it a simple

Cases that involve teenage pregnancy are often complicated and affect a large network of people. The case involving Katharine Westley is a case of teen pregnancy. Katharine is a 17 year old high school student who contacted the Family and Children’s Services: Unmarried Parents Services. Recently, Katharine discovered that she and her boyfriend of six months, James Koslik (age 19), are expecting a child. The parents of both Katharine and James have stated that they have certain expectations for their children. They are asserting their beliefs and moral onto their children. For instance, they think that the two should get married, get jobs, and raise the child. The parents even offered to help Katharine and James “get off to a

Teen pregnancy is a very controversial social issue and the vast majority of Americans consider the outrageous rate of teen pregnancies a severe issue, certainly a problematic occurrence that is believed to be a moral decline in our country. Teenagers are physiologically capable of reproducing but not emotionally or financially prepared to be parents at such a tender age. Through various research studies a plethora of determinants has pin pointed teens unprecedented pregnancies. One cause of this problem is the apparent indication of social separation or disadvantage. Within this issue you would find poverty, single parent households, educational disadvantages on the parents behalf, a lack family/parental support, and unemployment. A child’s educational performance, inappropriate sexual acts, and inferior apprehensions about their futures play a vital role in teen pregnancies as well. Amongst the listed disadvantages the three that take precedent are lacks of family communication, sexual abuse, and poverty. Furthermore, teen mothers do not fit the ideal ideology of the normative scheduling of motherhood, therefore, ultimately resulting in negative consequences for them and society. What needs to be understood is, as to why the numbers of teens are becoming parents at such a vernal age.