Agency Report –
Some residents of New Nyanya in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, have attributed the high rate of teenage pregnancy to poor parental upbringing and neglect.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New Nyanya on Tuesday, also attributed the problem to a lack of moral decadence among teenagers.
They also said that because of poverty, some parents also encourage their female children to engage in immoral acts to meet family needs.
Mrs Victoria Simeon, a housewife, said parents, especially some mothers, have failed in their responsibilities in the upbringing of their female children.
According to her, it is obvious that mothers are closer to their children than their fathers, and they are supposed to guide and teach the child moral values.
Simeon added that it has been proven that children who experience neglect are more likely to get pregnant.
“It is however crucial that parental guidance is very important for children to prevent any form of abuse,” she said.
She said that neglecting children could also result in emotional, sexual and physical abuse of the child.
“Neglected children are likely to have the highest rate of teenage pregnancy, as well as being at the risk of dropping out of school,” she said.
Mr Ben Okorocha, a civil servant, said that one of the major reasons for pregnancy among teenagers was poverty, adding that poverty had made most people do things without knowing the implications.
Okorocha explained that poverty has contributed massively as some of the girl-children are exposed to hawking on the streets daily.
“Parents should be dedicated to their children, particularly their girl-child and show concern in their day-to-day activities.
“Moral decadent has become the order of the day, we are in a generation where morality is no longer given priority and parents are no longer concerned about how they bring up their children,” he said.
He stressed that the kind of food that is being consumed by children of this generation is a thing of concern because it makes them grow abnormally.
Mr Elvis Onyibe, a businessman, advised parents to be close to their children, adding that education without sound moral upbringing could be counterproductive.
“We need to know who they communicate with, what they eat, what they wear, even how they think.
“All these are positive traces in child development; this can go a long way in shaping the development of a child and reducing crimes in society,’’ Onyibe said.
According to him, it was necessary for parents to know what their children eat, wear, and how they go about it.
“We also need to engage them regularly and build confidence, asked them questions and know who their friends are, ’’ he said.
