TEENAGE pregnancy continues to be a major problem in the Caribbean and Latin American region, which currently has the second-highest teen pregnancy rate worldwide.

Speaking a recent prayer breakfast hosted by Kiwanis Club of New Kingston under the theme: ‘Youth mental health: Young minds matter’, professor of paediatric and reproductive psychology in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Audrey Pottinger said teen pregnancy continues to be a major problem in the region. In 2022, 11 per cent, or a little over one in every 10 births that occurred worldwide, were from girls 12-15 yrs.

She said in a study she recently led that looked at the mental, social, and sexual health of Jamaican high school-age girls (14-17 years) who became pregnant, two findings stood out.

“Sixty per cent of the girls said they wanted the pregnancy, and 64 per cent said they liked being pregnant as they were treated with respect when pregnant. What came out was that being pregnant checked some boxes for them… provided purpose to their lives, someone they could love, [they] got respect and financial gains. When these girls felt something was missing in their lives, they found ways to fill the void. As a society, we have to be better at being intentional in shaping our youth’s minds, or they will,” she said.

Despite the startling research findings, Dr Pottinger told the prayer breakfast guests that youth want to be successful and so the onus is on parents, adults, and institutions to not fail them.

“They commonly express this concern. Even when they put on a bravado as if not interested in school or don’t like school, they want to be successful — academically, career-wise, relationally — making money. And they can become quite worried about whether they are going to be a ‘success’ in the future.

“Unfortunately, too many of our students are falling through the educational cracks because of how our school system is structured. Our schools need to be more intentional about the students they wish to produce. Too many are serving as a holding place until it’s time to graduate the students, regardless of their literacy or numeracy levels. The reality is, when students are not anchored by a training programme — whether academic or vocational — then we have failed to garner their minds, and we therefore need to be prepared for the outcome. An African proverb says, ‘The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth,’ ” she warned.

Professor Pottinger added that anyone can practise intentional caregiving or parenting, despite social economic status or biological relation to the child.

“It could start with you thinking about how you were raised, whether you wish to repeat the practices or do differently; and if [you wish to do] differently, seek out the resources — counselling, parent education workshops, self-help books — to learn new ways. Importantly, think about the characteristics you want to see in the child. Identify and label them — for example, God-fearing with strong sense of worth and confidence. Then, create a plan to acquire the traits.

“A plan may mean choosing your battles with the teen so as to not constantly thwart their sense of who they are; or be conscious of using positive words to help shape their self-worth. Or suppose you want them to include church in the triangle of influences in their life? Then, attending church and being involved is made a priority in the home, which does not include the parent staying home and sending the children to church,” she said.

Professor Pottinger added: “Intentional parenting is spending time with the child whose mind you are intent on shaping. You have to be present with them so you can be intentional about the content with which they are filling their minds.”