Underage pregnancies.

[Dicky Ticker]

As the 13 year old near me has just had a baby and no regular partner which may I add the family seems quite proud about as they have put banners and balloons out,does anybody every get convicted of underage sex with a juvenile. This 13 year old has already been put under supervision for theft .drunkenness and assault. She had a taxi arrive every morning to take her to a special school for 3hrs a day and would be lucky if she got 2 out of 5 days. If this is what supervision by social services is about I think they are very negligent in their duties and its no wonder we have child neglect mortality and this strikes me as another child born who dare I say it would be better taken into care from birth as the family appear to have no concept of right and wrong,or morals.

[timwilky]

unfortunately you are not going to stop kids experimenting with sex. I am sure most of us on this forum would have had a fumble or two hoping for more at that age.

What has changed is that kids no longer accept responsibility for any of their actions. and unfortunately some parents wash their hands of their kids. However, society must share some of the blame. We are the ones who have abandoned all sanctions on out of control youth. When I was a kid, there was locally a hostel for unmarried mothers. There they went to have their kids, and then say goodbye as the kid went for adoption. Not an ideal world, but a least the child went to somebody who wanted it, and was not treated as the by product of a casual shag.

[Dicky Ticker]

TW,That is my point,the supervision after many juvenile court appearances do not get enforced by the social services,probation service or such
Sorry to everyone,but when I was a kid the local bobby clipped your ear or kicked your **** and you got caned or the strap at school. Something like this carried a stigma that you carried for the rest of your life,not something you did to avoid getting a job or find some place to live like many of todays youngsters
The nanny state has gone a little bit over the top and the PC Brigade just seem to encourage them rather than punish

[MiniMatt]

Oh for gods sake. Old people moaning how it was all so much better in their day.

I'm sorry, YOU ARE WRONG.

You're allowed you're own perceptions and you're allowed you're own opinions, but you're not allowed to present your perceptions and opinions as fact and get away without someone taking issue.

You're wrong number one
Crime was better back in the day when all it took was a clip round the ear and a good caning.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/17_07_08_crime_statistics_200708.pdf
Crime is down, crime is lower now than it has been at any stage in the last 30 years.

You're wrong number two
Teenage pregnancies were negligible back when all it took was a visit to a back street illegal abortion clinic, only married people were allowed contraception advice and table legs were covered so as not to offend prudish sensibilities.

How high is the teenage pregnancy rate again? Care to guess? Perhaps you'd care to look it up? And perhaps you'd care to look at what it's done in the last 30 years. I've got the figures for the last 20 years to link but - guess what, they make your blustering look all for nowt.


EDIT:
Conclusions
Simple truth is it was YOUR childhood that was crime ridden and full of teenage pregnancy, not mine. What's more, the "nanny PC yoghurt weaving state" has obviously provided me with an extremely sound education - as not only is my generation doing far better on teenage pregnancies than yours, not only are we not resorting to crime like your generation, but we have been given the education and intelligence to see Daily Mail-esque posturing and blustering for what it is, not spout it as gospel, and actually search for the evidence before making accusations.

[Ed]

Anyone read 'How Green Was My Valley':rolleyes:

[ArtyLady]

a load of stuff.....

How old are you? were you there?

[Gene genie]

on a lighter note, my wife had our first chid far too early, blooby half past two in the morning.

[Dicky Ticker]

Lies dam lies and staistics,the greatest of these is statistics
Statistics are probably massaged by ASBO's other devious means

you obviously never grew up in the 6O's with free love

PERHAPS YOU THINK THAT 13YEAR OLDS SHOULD HAVE BABIES

Keep working, as somebody has to pay for her I'm alright jack I'm a retired old duffer and your paying for me already -----GREAT INNIT

[Ed]

Hope you feel better for that little rant:D

[carty]

Lies dam lies and staistics,the greatest of these is statistics
Statistics are probably massaged by ASBO's other devious means

you obviously never grew up in the 6O's with free love

PERHAPS YOU THINK THAT 13YEAR OLDS SHOULD HAVE BABIES

Keep working, as somebody has to pay for her I'm alright jack I'm a retired old duffer and your paying for me already -----GREAT INNIT

I'm with you mate, REPORTED crime might be down in the statistics but there's a lot of kids (actually, not just kids) doing a lot of bad things that are going unreported that make things worse today than they were some years ago.

Those kids should be lined up and castrated.

[Drew Carey]

Stats aside, things seem far worse today than they did when I was a kid (in the 80's). There are very few people I knew who would happily berate a granny, stab people, swear at every one, antogonise to the extent they deserve an ASBO etc. Whereas today kids (on the whole, but not all) seem to not car less and will happily do all the above. I just feel a general change in attitude has occured.

As for the OP, I feel that some scientist needs to work out a way in which kids can be chemically newtered until they are 16, with the "chemical" then either wearing off or a antidote being given.

Extreme????? Maybe, but its how I feel what with all the news around kids (not just teenagers, but children) getting pregnant. As for a sensible suggestion??? Who knows.

[hob]

As for the OP, I feel that some scientist needs to work out a way in which kids can be chemically newtered until they are 16

16? :eek:

Bit too young imo, will make getting their Phd harder..... ;)

[Sean_C]

Don't tar us all with the same brush. None of us are perfect. Most of us are sensible. Most of us don't go sleeping around, and I think you'll find most kids don't lose their virginity until 17 or 18.
There are people that don't comform to society, I'm sure there always were..
Don't write us off just yet, we're a nice bunch on the whole.

[lily]

Drew i agree with some of your views- you know i do!

But your view on preganance of children, yes i state my opinion when we see underage mothers, but i don't think giving them a drug that wears of once they are 16 is even thinkable.- Lucky i know you well enough to know the context of what you have said!

I feel there needs to be a legal age, but also on the same point when you feel ready to have a child I think you know you are ready. I lot of my friends either have children or are pregnant, and are asking when me and drew are thinking of having children- Currently i don't feel old enough (22) to have children, and therefore acted shocked when friends say that they are. But that is down to the way i was raised i think (i have older parents than most, and was raised in a very naive way)

And Drew as Sean says don't tar with the same brush. I was a teenager when you met me! But did none of your meantioned things!

[SoulKiss]

As for the OP, I feel that some scientist needs to work out a way in which kids can be chemically newtered until they are 16, with the "chemical" then either wearing off or a antidote being given.


Forget about an age limit.

Make them have to prove that they are capable and prepared for the "blessed event".

Then they can have the antidote at a cost (money to be put aside for the kid in the future - like a deposit).

If they can't afford the antidote then they cant afford a kid......

[carty]

Compulsory abortions for kids under 16

[Drew Carey]

For all those who know me, (especially Lily) you know I am joking bout the chemical bit. However, general attitudes have deffo changed and for me it boils my blood when youngsters (and Im not tarnishing all) have no respect for elders or now even parents.

[lily]

Drew I really don't think it is a 'new' thing tho. I went to school with people who had no respect for their parents!

Honey I mean this as nice as possible but you went to public school, and as you and me have disscussed you way your whole school's behaviour was compaired to mine, was very differant and that changes things. Your teachers had power over you.

There were girls in my year who had to leave to have their baby then come back to school...... I really don't think that happened at your school. As you would be put in detention as soon as a girl came into the boys house!

[ArtyLady]

I believe that since parents LOST THE RIGHT to discipline and control their children they seemed to lose the right to decide whether their child would be allowed to go ahead and have a baby. Nowadays the PC Nanny State brigade gives the child the right to decide themselves - FFS these are just kids! - how would they know what is the right thing to do!! In my day - (and I knew several girls this happened to) they would either be forced by their parents to have an abortion or give the child away. Of course before the 60's they would have had an illegal back street abortion.

[fizzwheel]

when youngsters (and Im not tarnishing all) have no respect for elders or now even parents.

Its not just youngsters, age doesnt have alot to do with the fact that some people have no respect for anything at all.

Teenage preganancy is not new, it never was, it never has been. I can remember it happening to people I went to school with who were younger than me. Yep it was more of a scandal then perhaps but its not a new thing.

Its just another example of how the media pick up on one thing and then its the latest "bad" thing that happens in society, it'll be tomorrow chip wrapper...

Doesnt make it right though...

[hovis]

i think it was more covered up when i was a kid, like if a young girl get pregnant, the girls mother would look after the baby, and it would become the younger brother/sister?

it seems now though youngster are proud of the fact thay have a few kids...... normaly with diferant dads, and no job

[MiniMatt]

How old are you? were you there?

I need to have been there to form a perception of the time - but in order to get the truth of a time we turn to historical record. I suspect none of us on this forum were around during World War 1, but by going through.... the statistics we know what happened during it.

Lies dam lies and staistics,the greatest of these is statistics
Statistics are probably massaged by ASBO's other devious means


Let me get this straight - you're dismissing crime statistics and birth statistics as lies? And you're trumpeting your own perception as more reliable indicator of crime statistics across the nation and more reliable than hospital records of births?

Hell, don't get me wrong, statistics can be massaged for sure, but given the question "how many murders were there in year X" or how many pregnancies per thousand individuals in the 13-19 bracket were there in year Y" are you seriously suggesting to me that official figures are wrong and you, you are the correct source of such information?


PERHAPS YOU THINK THAT 13YEAR OLDS SHOULD HAVE BABIES


Awww bless, you completely missed the point and went for capitals to try to hide the fact :D No, I don't think they should - in fact given that teenage pregnancies were more common 20 years ago than they are now, I'd be tempted to say that my generation doesn't think they should but yours obviously did.



Rant? I haven't even begun to rant :D Every other thread on the 'Org these days seems to be whinging whining miserable little people claiming how much better it was in the old days. You're welcome to sit and moan in your corner if you like but if you say one thing when historical record shows something else expect to get pulled up on it :D

[Speedy Claire]

[quote=Dicky Ticker;1786473]This 13 year old has already been put under supervision for theft .drunkenness and assault. She had a taxi arrive every morning to take her to a special schoolquote]


So what you`re saying is that this is a child with special needs/learning difficulties? I really don`t think you can compare her situation to the rest of the teenage pregnancies. If this girl has special needs then I`d say its extremely unfair to be judging her. She obviously has behavioural problems and that`s maybe why she`s a repeat offender?

I have a friend who`s daugter got pregnant at 15.... my friend and her husband were in no way to blame for it, it was just unfortunately a case where a bit of a teenage grope went a bit too far. Her daughter is and has always been a fantastic mum since day one. She is now 24 and is studying to be a barrister.

I also have a 17 year old on my case load with 2 children, she had her first baby at 14. Again a fantastic mum and I`d trust her more than I`d trust some of the 30 year olds I see. She has her own housing association home, works part time and plans on going to college when her children are a bit older.

Another incident that has come to mind and I`ve never forgotten this young girl and often think of her. I was a student nurse and working on the labour ward.. this was 1991. One night a lovely, well mannered young girl just walked into the hospital and said I`m about to have a baby. She was 15 years old. She lived in Ireland and when she`d told her parents about the pregnancy they kicked her out and disowned her. She took her savings and came to Liverpool for an abortion but couldn`t go thru with it and decided to keep the baby. She was still a child herself when she gave birth but she didn`t cry once, she was in agony but didn`t complain and refused analgesia as she felt this pain was her punishment from god and she had to accept it for getting pregnant. She delivered a lovely little boy but I don`t know what happened to her after leaving hospital.. I bet she went on to be a fantastic parent too.

Yes there may be a lot of teenage pregnancies, it`s unfortunately a sign of the times but don`t be too quick to judge the situation or condemn families. Yes there are certain situations where you can say it`s the parents fault cos they obviously haven`t instilled good manners or good morals. Teenage pregnancy is, however, one of those areas where I just don`t think you can point a finger. I`d much rather see a family support their child through a pregnancy than kick her out on the street like that poor young Irish girl I nursed.

[MavUK]

Whilst I have no idea about birth stats (and I have to say I don't think thta has happened in the last 18 years - as half my class had kids at 14 - and no I don't think that it's good) I do not beleive the crime stats.

It's a good old fudge of numbers (the same as the unemployed figures have been for the last 10 years or so).

Whe I passed my test i had someone hit my car when I was away from it. Reported it and got a crime number. Had a toussle with someone on the road a few years later and got an incident number. It's all in the name. An incident is not a crime - therefore if you make 10% (number from the top of my head) of crimes incidents you suddenly have 10% less crime. The fact that you can't leave you bike in many area's of the city is immaterial - crime is down (I'd like to see if there is a similar report that shows the combined incident and crime numbers available... and I don't even mind being proven wrong if they show it was better in the old days :) ).

As for not beleiving the authorities - remember that we are talking about the same goverment that uses the 30% speeding lie for accidents.

As for the special needs schools... There are multiple types... My cousin went to one for his special needs. His special needs being refusal to go to normal school and refusal to keep out of trouble.

[Speedy Claire]

As for the special needs schools... There are multiple types... My cousin went to one for his special needs. His special needs being refusal to go to normal school and refusal to keep out of trouble.

I notice your location is "near Amsterdam". Special schools in the UK are obv different to the special schools in your area.... see below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_school


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_school_(Netherlands)

[ArtyLady]

I need to have been there to form a perception of the time - but in order to get the truth of a time we turn to historical record. I suspect none of us on this forum were around during World War 1, but by going through.... the statistics we know what happened during it.



Let me get this straight - you're dismissing crime statistics and birth statistics as lies? And you're trumpeting your own perception as more reliable indicator of crime statistics across the nation and more reliable than hospital records of births?

Hell, don't get me wrong, statistics can be massaged for sure, but given the question "how many murders were there in year X" or how many pregnancies per thousand individuals in the 13-19 bracket were there in year Y" are you seriously suggesting to me that official figures are wrong and you, you are the correct source of such information?



Awww bless, you completely missed the point and went for capitals to try to hide the fact :D No, I don't think they should - in fact given that teenage pregnancies were more common 20 years ago than they are now, I'd be tempted to say that my generation doesn't think they should but yours obviously did.



Rant? I haven't even begun to rant :D Every other thread on the 'Org these days seems to be whinging whining miserable little people claiming how much better it was in the old days. You're welcome to sit and moan in your corner if you like but if you say one thing when historical record shows something else expect to get pulled up on it :D

You speak like someone who is very used to researching and quoting which is commendable, but IMO Historians may get very close to the facts but can never be completely sure their facts are 100% correct as they weren't there and they are relying on primary and secondary sources, witting and unwitting testimony. You do occasionally hear about a new evidence being uncovered about historical events which lead to different facts.

Fact of the matter is us oldies have life experiences and we can see first hand the differences from then to now. We are the "primary source" for the historical evidence we are speaking about.

I for one have never said it was better or worse back in the day but I do know that parents had more far more control over their children.

[MiniMatt]

When I want to know what it was like to live in a certain decade, or a certain geographical area, I'm all for asking people.

When I want to find out how many babies were born however, I find the hospital records far more accurate. Similarly, if I want to find out how many murders there were on a given year I check police/court records.

Personal experience is great, it's fantastic, it gives a fuller rounder flavour in accounting for a time, but whose experience do you believe? Who has a more accurate picture of the 60s - the person who was 20 at the time, or the person who was 60? The person who lived in London at the time or the person who lived in Hull?

One man saying "my perception is right, everyone else's perception is wrong, I am right for all geographical areas, and what's more I'm more right than hospital birth records and police murder statistics" - that's just talking ******** however old you are.

[SoulKiss]

When I want to find out how many babies were born however, I find the hospital records far more accurate.

And the large number of home births that never went near a hospital - are those in those stats?

Raw figures are fine, but I (only 35) see things as being worse than they were 20 years ago - are they - I dont really know - but I do know that the school I went to had kids from about 6 big villages going to it and there were fights between the villages almost weekly (if not more - and if someone from one village hadnt done something to someone from another village this week, there was always the Catholic school down the road - Ayrshire was almost as bad as NI for that.......)

No knives were involved that I am aware of - the worst I ever heard of was a bike chain - and that may be pure myth.

I can't name a single girl in my year that got pregnant - despite some of them being, well a little generous with their affections - the biggest "scandel" was when it came out that a couple of the guys that were 15 had pulled (and were popping round at lunchtime) to visit a couple of twenty-somethings who's husbands were away on the oil-rigs (I had moved to Aberdeen by then).

Rose tinted glasses coupled with not hanging around with the "wrong crowd"?

Maybe.

[yorkie_chris]

[quote=Dicky Ticker;1786473]This 13 year old has already been put under supervision for theft .drunkenness and assault. She had a taxi arrive every morning to take her to a special schoolquote]


So what you`re saying is that this is a child with special needs/learning difficulties?

That is immaterial IMO, whoever is supposed to be responsible for her punishment/rehabilitation/education is obviously not doing too good a job of it. Whether that be through lack of powers/funding etc I don't know.


Minimatt you do always manage to make a sound and well supported argument, but I wouldn't trust the government figures you quote any further than I could throw them.
I am more inclined to believe that the current ease of maintaining a life without purpose and lack of consequence to actions is making the country a worse place overall.

To take an example from my Father, there are no unemployed in China. They do not have mechanised roadsweepers there, so there are no unemployed. Despite my hatred of communist regimes, I can see that system has its benefits (ba-dum-tsch).

[MiniMatt]

And the large number of home births that never went near a hospital - are those in those stats?


Home births are one thing; suprise home births (that is ones that even the GP wasn't aware of before a baby popped out) are another; and stealth babies that the medical profession never knew were born, were never immunised and have never been entered on the register are something entirely different.

If you'd like to make an estimate of the number of babies out there who have never been registered, have never had a birth certificate and don't exist on any statistics at all then be my guest.

[ArtyLady]

When I want to know what it was like to live in a certain decade, or a certain geographical area, I'm all for asking people.

When I want to find out how many babies were born however, I find the hospital records far more accurate. Similarly, if I want to find out how many murders there were on a given year I check police/court records.

Personal experience is great, it's fantastic, it gives a fuller rounder flavour in accounting for a time, but whose experience do you believe? Who has a more accurate picture of the 60s - the person who was 20 at the time, or the person who was 60? The person who lived in London at the time or the person who lived in Hull?

One man saying "my perception is right, everyone else's perception is wrong, I am right for all geographical areas, and what's more I'm more right than hospital birth records and police murder statistics" - that's just talking ******** however old you are.

Judging by all your responses to the OP, you seem pretty bitter about something?

Perhaps it's because you feel deprived having missed the best 2 decades of the last century - 60s and 70s ;) and IMO they were better times to live in, no mobile phones, no telesales calls, no guilt trips for mothers because they did/didn't go to work, no video games/computer/wii etc etc to give you headaches - just good clean fresh air and mudpies for entertainment! and the best thing of all was that parents were allowed control of their kids! :lol:

[yorkie_chris]

One man saying "my perception is right, everyone else's perception is wrong, I am right for all geographical areas, and what's more I'm more right than hospital birth records and police murder statistics" - that's just talking ******** however old you are.

There are no statistics for the general attitude of people, for that you only need ask the man on the street.

IMO murder stats are not particularly relevant, premeditated murder is more likely to be as a result of utter b0llocks rather than financial need.
For a more representative view, what about muggings?

Some would say the police have just got better at generating statistics and paper.

[richie95]

sorry i get lost with these threads, are we hanging beating or burning this one???

[yorkie_chris]

Beat, hang then burn. I thought you would have got the hang of it by now...

[Speedy Claire]

[quote=Speedy Claire;1786935]

That is immaterial IMO, whoever is supposed to be responsible for her punishment/rehabilitation/education is obviously not doing too good a job of it. Whether that be through lack of powers/funding etc I don't know

Sorry Chris but it is an extremely relevant point. This thread seems to be discussing underage pregnancy yet the subject of the thread (from what i`ve read) attended a special school and therefore must have had some sort of learning disability. I really don`t think you can compare a situation where a child with learning disabilities becoming pregnant with that of a child with no learning disabilities who becomes pregnant.

Children with learning disabilities have a lack of sexual knowledge. Research suggests that teenagers with learning disabilities are engaging in intimate relationships and sexual contact without adequate sexual knowledge and skills, they feel unable to access support from peers and family and are unclear about the existence of sexual health services. They are taught very basic sex education, and are not taught about underage pregnancy.

Young people with a learning disability need information about values, friendship, dating, love and intimacy and how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexual exploitation. Research indicates that children with disabilities are four times more likely to be abused than their peers. Inadequate teaching and knowledge surrounding appropriate sexual behaviour and boundaries can leave such youngsters susceptible to becoming victims of sexual abuse and underage pregnancy.

I therefore think that you cannot cite an example of a child attending a special school becoming pregnant and act all outraged regarding underage pregnancy and blaming the parents in the same thread. The reasons for a child with learning disabilities becoming pregnant will more than likely be totally different.

It makes me laugh when people blame the parents. Do any parents here never, ever let their teenager out alone and unacompanied? Can all parents here hand on heart put their hand up and say I know where my teenager is 24 hours a day?

I had what I consider to be a strict upbringing when I was a teenager i`d never have the nerve to say I was going to a party where there`d be boys so I`d lie and say I was going to a friends for a sleepover. Most teenagers will lie about their whereabouts that is a fact. You may think your daughter is at a friends doing homework when in reality she is at a party having her first experience of drinking alcopops and interacting with the opposite sex.

How many people on here will admit to losing their virginity earlier than 16 years of age?? Because those early sexual encounters didn`t result in pregnancy you probably don`t even think about how young you were at the time and what you were risking yet now we`re that bit older and that bit wiser people act all outraged when a person becomes pregnant at such an early age.

[yorkie_chris]

So what are "learning difficulties", does that mean she is a dribbling cabbage, or just that she can't read "war and peace" while taking a dump.

"Blame the parents", well there's 2 ways about it really, you can blame the parents for not keeping their daughter on a leash 24/7, (when I was 15-16, the girls who were kept on a leash at home were always lots of fun, so much for that strategy!).... Or you could blame the parents for not teaching some morals.

I'm sure you will agree that someone brought up by dolescum with no ambition is more likely to end up as dolescum with no ambition.

[Gene genie]

a crime has been committed here, unlawful sex. seems like we've all forgotten about that.
can someone educate me on that?

[yorkie_chris]

So prosecute the young lass and see what good it does, bit late now. Or try and find the father and see how old he is. Bit late now though...

If the lad is of similar age then what are you going to do?

[Gene genie]

its now ilegal to kiss on a train station platform, great to have standards.:rolleyes:

[Gene genie]

So prosecute the young lass and see what good it does, bit late now. Or try and find the father and see how old he is. Bit late now though...

If the lad is of similar age then what are you going to do?
so why have an age of concent? :confused:

[yorkie_chris]

But if both parties are below the age of consent then the term is a little bit silly, what is it then? Mutual rape? lol.

Age of consent to make it illegal for old blokes to $hag very young girls, I thought that was pretty obvious?

[yorkie_chris]

its now ilegal to kiss on a train station platform, great to have standards.:rolleyes:

And no, it hasn't been made illegal as far as I'm aware. Some signs have been put up in manchester to shut some whingers up and chances are you can quite safely ignore them. Or kiss them if you want.

[Gene genie]

Age of consent to make it illegal for old blokes to $hag very young girls, I thought that was pretty obvious?
quite right mate. goes without saying, but the law applies to all. but yeah your right what can you do in this situation?
at the end of the day they'll reap the rewards from the papers, mags and tv appearances which will only encourage others to do the same.

[Lou M]

I was very surprised when I started working in a school 3 years ago.

According to our media, every teenager carried a knife and beat up everyone they saw, etc etc. I wondered what I'd let myself in for.

Well, I have to say that they are a lovely polite pleasant bunch, yes I do come across the odd rude one, but on the whole they are great. They even shout out 'hello miss' when I'm in town.

Now the worse bunch I deal with are the upper 6th, aged 17 and above, blimey don't they think they know it all.

But the lower school are ace, I love them!

[jaffacakes]

:safe:

Apparently this Alfie Patten (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4617299/13-year-old-father-vows-to-become-good-parent.html) has joined Fathers For Justice.
.
.
.
.
Well, he already has the Spiderman outfit:D

[Gene genie]

:safe:

Apparently this Alfie Patten (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4617299/13-year-old-father-vows-to-become-good-parent.html) has joined Fathers For Justice.
.
.
.
.
Well, he already has the Spiderman outfit:D
:smt043:smt043:winner:

[TazDaz]

Let me get this straight - you're dismissing crime statistics and birth statistics as lies? And you're trumpeting your own perception as more reliable indicator of crime statistics across the nation and more reliable than hospital records of births?

Hell, don't get me wrong, statistics can be massaged for sure, but given the question "how many murders were there in year X" or how many pregnancies per thousand individuals in the 13-19 bracket were there in year Y" are you seriously suggesting to me that official figures are wrong and you, you are the correct source of such information?

I've noticed you've taken to believing the statistics but also stating that they are "massaged"...surely this is a contradiction as anything which has been "massaged" or altered to suit the required needs is no longer factual. Only the raw data is ever factual...and this is never presented!

Statistics are always skewed and manipulated to suit the role which they are being presented for. Extrapolation is commonly used when displaying statistics on things like knife crime etc and doesn't reflect true information in the slightest.

Not to mention that when you see a headline saying "x thousands of cars were stolen last year" or something along those lines, they obtain this information from the individual police forces and often not all of the forces reply to the information request so they effectively guess at how many cars were stolen in a particular area...be it averaging over the region or what not.

I'm not disputing that there are more of less teenage prenancies at present than there were in the past - largely I think that the media is to blame as this stuff is widely broadcast where as 40 years ago I doubt a teenage prenancy would have made national use, if even local news!

You have talked about the Daily Mail esque and education etc etc, but surely thinking that the statistics presented are gospel is almost as bad?

[Ed]

Don't forget that the Government recently created the UK Statistics Agency to improve public trust in official statistics, in fact to stop the very disbelief evident in this thread. When the Home Office tried to massage offender statistics, the head honcho published his highly critical letter to them and the Government had to apologise and back down.

[MavUK]

I notice your location is "near Amsterdam". Special schools in the UK are obv different to the special schools in your area.... see below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_school


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_school_(Netherlands)

Location is Amsterdam, but I left blighty 10 years ago. Like a said a Cousin (from Leicester, still living in Leicester along with most of my Family) went to a 'Special School' picked up by taxi multiple times a week. He was picked up by taxi as it was the only way to actually get him there at least some of the time. He doesn't have any special needs educationally, just for dicipline (and I need a spell checker online :)).

I know there are other special needs schools as well - I just wanted to point out that special needs is a lable that covers many things.

[Foey]

As for the OP, I feel that some scientist needs to work out a way in which kids can be chemically newtered until they are 16, with the "chemical" then either wearing off or a antidote being given.




Many should just be done permenantly so they don't dilute the human gene pool any further.

As for under age pregnancy, let the family support them or they get nowt, yes i am an uncaring a55ehole but in my world life is perfect.

[timwilky]

[quote=yorkie_chris;1787035]

Sorry Chris but it is an extremely relevant point. This thread seems to be discussing underage pregnancy yet the subject of the thread (from what i`ve read) attended a special school and therefore must have had some sort of learning disability. I really don`t think you can compare a situation where a child with learning disabilities becoming pregnant with that of a child with no learning disabilities who becomes pregnant.

Children with learning disabilities have a lack of sexual knowledge. Research suggests that teenagers with learning disabilities are engaging in intimate relationships and sexual contact without adequate sexual knowledge and skills, they feel unable to access support from peers and family and are unclear about the existence of sexual health services. They are taught very basic sex education, and are not taught about underage pregnancy.

Young people with a learning disability need information about values, friendship, dating, love and intimacy and how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexual exploitation. Research indicates that children with disabilities are four times more likely to be abused than their peers. Inadequate teaching and knowledge surrounding appropriate sexual behaviour and boundaries can leave such youngsters susceptible to becoming victims of sexual abuse and underage pregnancy.

I therefore think that you cannot cite an example of a child attending a special school becoming pregnant and act all outraged regarding underage pregnancy and blaming the parents in the same thread. The reasons for a child with learning disabilities becoming pregnant will more than likely be totally different.

It makes me laugh when people blame the parents. Do any parents here never, ever let their teenager out alone and unacompanied? Can all parents here hand on heart put their hand up and say I know where my teenager is 24 hours a day?

I had what I consider to be a strict upbringing when I was a teenager i`d never have the nerve to say I was going to a party where there`d be boys so I`d lie and say I was going to a friends for a sleepover. Most teenagers will lie about their whereabouts that is a fact. You may think your daughter is at a friends doing homework when in reality she is at a party having her first experience of drinking alcopops and interacting with the opposite sex.

How many people on here will admit to losing their virginity earlier than 16 years of age?? Because those early sexual encounters didn`t result in pregnancy you probably don`t even think about how young you were at the time and what you were risking yet now we`re that bit older and that bit wiser people act all outraged when a person becomes pregnant at such an early age.

OK. We caught daughter no2 having sex when she was 13, it was at the elder daughter joint 16th party at a friends house. We the parents thought we were being sensible, they had the run of the house. but we stayed in the study. Not interfering but there. I had to be dragged off the 16 year old lad I had pinned up against the wall.

We dragged our daughter to the police station where she would not talk to them. At first plod thought it was us who had the problem until she made a teenage throwaway comment about not talking to sides of bacon. Parting shot from copper to her was I think we will be seeing a lot of you.

Next day mum dragged her down to the doctors. Who explained all the risks of casual and early sex and started her on contraceptive injections.

Over the next few years she was a nightmare. Plod would bring her home and say good luck to us. She became that violent that at age 16 we had no choice but to tell her where to go. What else can you do when a mother is beaten up by her daughter for not giving her money.

That was a rude awakening. living in a dodgy homeless unit for 2 years as nobody would give her a flat until she turned 18. She was during that time going to college and they helped her sort accommodation.

She was 22 before she dropped a sprog.

You then compare this with my son.

He used to bring his 16 year old girlfriend home. As soon as we realised they were getting physical. We supplied him with some condoms. The wife then informed the girls mother that she was sexually active. Her mother went into denial mode and said Ruth is not like that.

Some months later we found out that Ruth was only 14 at the time and they had both been lying to us. David got the bollocking of his life and they split up. several months later David came to see us. It turns out Ruth dropped a surprise little girl. Nobody, her, David, her mother knew she was pregnant. She had been out horse riding and developed a pain and could not stop weeing. Mum immediately knew what was wrong. and Ruby arrived 2 hours later. Ruth was kept in hospital for a week. Mainly because as such a new mum she had not prepared for anything. she did leave twice to go and sit her GCSEs.


Why have I posted this. First of all to say I consider ourselves responsible parents and teenage children can come from good homes and very easily go off the rails. Horrible kids are not just the product of the large council estates. You do however, hope that somewhere in the darkest recessess of thier brain there may just be a flicker ember of decency.

Second to say that parents should not be in denial of underage sex. It does happen. You just have to give them the facts. help/support them. Waving a big stick will not stop them.

[Dicky Ticker]

Perhaps i should have put things better in the original post
This girl has no learning problems ,infact very bright
She has no father at home as he was flung out by the wife[alcoholic]
Brother accused of rape
Vandalising neighbors cars[Plural]
Assaulting neighbors with offensive weapons
Mother who works shifts and seems to have no control over any of her family
Various incidents of shoplifting
Expelled from two schools for assaults[verbal on teachers]
Failing to do detention or attend school in the first place
Teenage sister and boyfriend[He's been flung out by his parents] both living in the same house ,neither work.
Running about the streets half dressed and drunk while being looked after by the sister.
All the above resulted in her being put on a supervision order and my main point is the Social Services have seriously failed,which rather than giving her a chance to redeem herself and make something of herself in the future,she is now saddled with a kid,living with a wayward family who never gave her proper guidance in the first place

The "Alleged father" is a 15/16 year old-----does he or she get put on a sex offenders list.
What happens if she does it again
Out playing in the park as I type this with the carry cot lying beside a seat

Yes I rant, but at failings of irresponsible people who should be doing more than they are instead of arriving at the kids door with a clipboard and not even entering the house.Social Services,by neglect,have ruined this young girls life
Maybe a couple of years with a problem foster family could have saved all the heartache she is going to have looking after the child and loosing out on youth because I can't see the family being a great help to her

[John 675]

She has no father at home as he was flung out by the wife[alcoholic]
Brother accused of rape
Vandalising neighbors cars[Plural]
Assaulting neighbors with offensive weapons
Mother who works shifts and seems to have no control over any of her family
Various incidents of shoplifting
Expelled from two schools for assaults[verbal on teachers]
Failing to do detention or attend school in the first place
Teenage sister and boyfriend[He's been flung out by his parents] both living in the same house ,neither work.
Running about the streets half dressed and drunk while being looked after by the sister.
All the above resulted in her being put on a supervision order and my main point is the Social Services have seriously failed,which rather than giving her a chance to redeem herself and make something of herself in the future,she is now saddled with a kid,living with a wayward family who never gave her proper guidance in the first place



Thats quite an impressive ASBO family CV lol ;)

all i know for dam sure that my kids will be raised with values and respect.. they will be taught right and wrong as early as possible and supported in every way i can... ( plus introduced to bike racing early to live my dream ;) lol, )

you cant do any more than that IMHO if your children respect you they will listen.. if your children see you as a bank and a hotel.. and give you no respect.. then expect things like this girl to happen.

but in their defence.. it sounds as if they come from a sink estate.. where this attitude is common place..these people know right and wrong.. but many ( Not all ) choose to ignore it.. some estates in this country are like other planets.. or different countries.. forgotton by the government and left to its own means.. there are about 4 in my local area of Notts.. where gun and knife crime was huge.. maybe because core values were not passed down by parents, or they were too young to actually understand core values.. we are on a fourth generation of dole dossers now folks.. your asking people to change there way of life.. not gonna happen..

* Please bear in mind this opinion is my own.. i know not every single person that live in poverty areas are like this.. its just a shame that they are included in the debate

[Dicky Ticker]

With regard to the "Area" it is a privately[Owned by the mother] 4 bed house not in an estate and 6 years ago before the father got ejected they were a normal family.
How a family can go so far off the rails bewilders me.

[John 675]

With regard to the "Area" it is a privately[Owned by the mother] 4 bed house not in an estate and 6 years ago before the father got ejected they were a normal family.
How a family can go so far off the rails bewilders me.

... thats quite odd is that, the degeneration of a family that quick.. so whopays for them all now?

[Dicky Ticker]

You and i

[Ceri JC]

keep working, as somebody has to pay for her i'm alright jack i'm a retired old duffer and your paying for me already -----great innit

pmsl! :D

[carty]

TimWilky, fair play to you for posting your story- it puts some perspective on the original post topic for me

Cheers

[Paws]

Similiar tale here like tims,
my 13 yr old cousin had a baby last year (posted up about it here), she was bought up in a v well off family/household, told us the bloke was just a friend...
She was/is v bright at school, never been in trouble with police etc.

We now have a gorgeous 6mth old little lad in the family who we wouldnt change for the world

[Lozzo]

Teenage pregnancy is nothing new. My ex had our daughter when she was just 18 and I was just 19, it took 5 years to get her pregnant - we were simply lucky it didn't happen earlier.

[Jools'SV Now]

Underage pregnancy?

chance would've been a fine thing.
No one would have me until i was 19 FFS!
:(

[Dicky Ticker]

JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTION THE LATEST STATISTICS SHOW AN INCREASE
------OH DEAR-----------


After all the critism and quoting of statistics I find the latest figures enlightening

[sarah]

JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTION THE LATEST STATISTICS SHOW AN INCREASE
------OH DEAR-----------


After all the critism and quoting of statistics I find the latest figures enlightening

also worth noting that ALL birth rates have gone up (in the UK)

[yorkie_chris]

Unemployment and sod all good on telly, what do you expect?

[Graciepants]

I'm not decided whether its upbringing or situation or the people who influence you? i come from a very middle class family, my mum is a head teacher of a primary school and my dad is a chef. my parents go to church 3 times a week and are quite religious. they have tried their best to install their views and me and my sister, they strongly believe that you should wait for marriage to have sex (they did), to the point where at 21, i have to sleep on the living room sofa if i have a boyfriend to stay over - and that was only when i started university (i had to fight tooth and nail to ahve a double bed there) and got boyfriends who lived in essex or brighton or elsewhere that was hours away. i wasnt even allowed to have boys in my room til i was 17, and that was only because i told my parents it was time they treated me like an adult and they were too shocked to disagree. i bringe drink, wear short skirts when clubbing and have boyfriends. my sister had the exact upbringing as me and she is a devout christian. shes 23 and shes been with her boyfriend for over 2 years. they are waiting for marriage. they have never more than kissed.

one of my friends got his girlfriend pregnant at 14 and she had an abortion. many of my friends lost it earlier than 16, i personally seem to be a later compaired to most! i dont know anyone who lives in an estate or lives off benefits but it happens to everyone. people are just starting earlier, personally i dont think that makes it right, but we cant really stop it so we have to find ways of dealing with the consequences or better preparing

[Lozzo]

people are just starting earlier, personally i dont think that makes it right, but we cant really stop it so we have to find ways of dealing with the consequences or better preparing

Kids aren't starting any earlier, we just hear about it more nowadays because the tabboos are broken. 30 years ago people didn't talk openly about ther sex lives like we do nowadays. When I was at school you had the usual braggers who claimed to have had this girl and that girl, but years later you found out those girls were wrongly labelled as slags because of a pack of lies told by a group of lads trying to act big.

I had a steady girlfriend from just turned 11 til I was nearly 18 1/2. We did a lot of growing up together that resulted in a lovely daughter in 1981 when I was 19. It had taken nearly 5 years of teenage fumbling and experimenting before Caron fell pregnant. How we weren't caught out by this sooner is anyone's guess, because contraception was all but impossible for kids our age to lay their hands on back then. Again, years later we found out that most of our friends who were in long term relationships at the same time (and there were a few of us that were) had been doing the same from the age of about 13 or 14. I was brought up in a nice repectable village in Bedfordshire with middle class strictly religious Maltese Roman Catholic parents. My parents didn't talk about anything to do with reproduction or sex at all, that was all learned at school in lessons.

Back then we as lads didn't talk about our sex lives because we didn't want anyone branding our girlfriends as slags or easy pickings. That sort of thing doesn't seem to bother kids nowadays, it's almost like a competition for underage girls to sleep with as many boys as possible.

The ages that kids start having sex haven't changed, the attitudes towards it have.

[Lozzo]

Unemployment and sod all good on telly, what do you expect?

Given a choice of watching Gordon Brown on TV or jumping in the sack with a fit burd, I know what I'd be doing.

[stroppygob]

My mate trained as a social worker, he went into the training all full of; "save the ethnic, disabled, single-mother, lesbian, whale," fervour.

Within six months of starting work in a South Wales sink estate, his quote was "Contraception should be in the drinking water, and you should have to apply for a license to have a kid."

[SoulKiss]

"Contraception should be in the drinking water, and you should have to apply for a license to have a kid."

Well you used to need one to have a dog...........

[kitkat]

my 16 year old daughter told me while I was pregnant recently that she is never going to get pregnant. If she wants a baby she will buy one. I dont think the answer is telling kids not to do it. I think showing them the realities of bringing up a baby - sleepless nights, dirty nappies, no social life - would be a better contraception.

[Tara]

my 16 year old daughter told me while I was pregnant recently that she is never going to get pregnant. If she wants a baby she will buy one. I dont think the answer is telling kids not to do it. I think showing them the realities of bringing up a baby - sleepless nights, dirty nappies, no social life - would be a better contraception.

i think thats a reality check at any age :shock:

[slark01]

i think thats a reality check at any age :shock:
Oooooh yeah, it certainly is!:shock:

[Mej]

If she wants a baby she will buy one. :shock: Buy one??? Is there some kind of baby blackmarket i haven't heard of.

Same as above really raised middle class with good parents, but they were pretty ignorant to what went on when i was younger, sort of 14-19. I got away with a lot more than most. Loads of people i knew had babies by the time we left school or at least by the time they were 17, some grew up with it, some didn't.

[gettin2dizzy]

Talking of compulsory contraception; when I worked for the NHS we tried the implant on lots of young girls in these sink estates. Needless to say we stopped it, as they were cutting them out! I think that speaks volumes for their intentions.


As for 'things are getting worse'. Sure they are.... Our parents generation lived their life like Miss Marple I'm sure ;)

[gruntygiggles]

Wow, quite a thread this one.

Firstly, a friend of mine in school gave birth the her first child at age 13, still came to school until 2 weeks before birth and came back 6 weeks after...full days and did really well in her GCSE's. The father was 1 year older and no charges were ever brought. They then went on to have another child at 19, twins at 22 and their last child was born 4 years ago. She is now 30, her and the father of all the children are still together, now married. Both completed school and a levels. Nic went to college and became a hairdresser and Ryan went to uni, working two jobs at the same time and is now on about £60k a year, with Nic making about £40k a year as a partner in a small salon. Their parents helped and they had no financial support off the state that any regular family wouldn't get. They now have thier own beautiful house, have paid their parents back every penny and are a lovely family.

They may well be the exception, but it happens.

As for the vast majority of girls getting pregnant in their teens, either as a way to keep a boyfriend or get a nice flat and benefits. For the families that don't work, live off benefits but continue to have child after child and let us all pay for them, I think there's only one answer.

Say, "yes, we will support you and your children, but on our terms".

Don't give them money, give them food stamps or vouchers that can only be redeemed against food and drink (alcohol not forbidden, but limited). Any household purchases would have to be applied for so they can't have skyHD, a Wii and Xbox while they sit on their arses and let us pay for it all.

I really feel strongly about this. I'm not saying it is the norm, but in one of the less desirable estates near my hometown, many children would have to go to school with shoes too small and worn, pass me down clothes and next to nothing for lunch while the parents smoked 40 a day, drank every night and ran two cars. It's not the rule, but was common then and still is now.

We HAVE to give our hard earned money to help these people and I do not begrudge helping those that need it. Many young teenage mums are not entirely to blame.....they are mostly children themselves after all. BUT, I cannot tell you how much I hate paying taxes and watching fit and healthy men and woman have 4,5,6....children while not working and having no intention to work.

Lets stop making it so bl**dy easy for them. It's our money, we should have a say in how it's spent and I would much rather know that my taxes are ensuring that every child brought into this world under these circumstances is going to get fed well and be given all they need to have a happy, healthy childhood. If the parents want sky, an x box or plasma tv, they can bl**dy well get a job and go pay for them themselves!!!

Tim Wilkie...for parents like you, I think we should be grateful. Not all teenage pregnancies can be blamed on parents and that is evident when you see the families where the parents become the biggest and best support for the children and grandchildren. My beef is with the part of society that believes it acceptable and normal to be able to live for free and not have to work. We should just not have to carry these people through life. I lose almost £20k a year in income tax and it makes me sick to see it go to people who don't even have the urge to support themselves or their children.
Ok......my point made!

[Milky Bar Kid]

+1 - and a well made point it is!!

At the end of the day teenage pregnancies always did and always will happen - maybe now we just hear about it more.

It's the scroungers that need to be sorted, not the 15 year old girl that had an accident and made the brave and life changing decision to keep her baby and bring it up.

[slark01]

Wow, quite a thread this one.

Firstly, a friend of mine in school gave birth the her first child at age 13, still came to school until 2 weeks before birth and came back 6 weeks after...full days and did really well in her GCSE's. The father was 1 year older and no charges were ever brought. They then went on to have another child at 19, twins at 22 and their last child was born 4 years ago. She is now 30, her and the father of all the children are still together, now married. Both completed school and a levels. Nic went to college and became a hairdresser and Ryan went to uni, working two jobs at the same time and is now on about £60k a year, with Nic making about £40k a year as a partner in a small salon. Their parents helped and they had no financial support off the state that any regular family wouldn't get. They now have thier own beautiful house, have paid their parents back every penny and are a lovely family.

They may well be the exception, but it happens.

As for the vast majority of girls getting pregnant in their teens, either as a way to keep a boyfriend or get a nice flat and benefits. For the families that don't work, live off benefits but continue to have child after child and let us all pay for them, I think there's only one answer.

Say, "yes, we will support you and your children, but on our terms".

Don't give them money, give them food stamps or vouchers that can only be redeemed against food and drink (alcohol not forbidden, but limited). Any household purchases would have to be applied for so they can't have skyHD, a Wii and Xbox while they sit on their arses and let us pay for it all.

I really feel strongly about this. I'm not saying it is the norm, but in one of the less desirable estates near my hometown, many children would have to go to school with shoes too small and worn, pass me down clothes and next to nothing for lunch while the parents smoked 40 a day, drank every night and ran two cars. It's not the rule, but was common then and still is now.

We HAVE to give our hard earned money to help these people and I do not begrudge helping those that need it. Many young teenage mums are not entirely to blame.....they are mostly children themselves after all. BUT, I cannot tell you how much I hate paying taxes and watching fit and healthy men and woman have 4,5,6....children while not working and having no intention to work.

Lets stop making it so bl**dy easy for them. It's our money, we should have a say in how it's spent and I would much rather know that my taxes are ensuring that every child brought into this world under these circumstances is going to get fed well and be given all they need to have a happy, healthy childhood. If the parents want sky, an x box or plasma tv, they can bl**dy well get a job and go pay for them themselves!!!

Tim Wilkie...for parents like you, I think we should be grateful. Not all teenage pregnancies can be blamed on parents and that is evident when you see the families where the parents become the biggest and best support for the children and grandchildren. My beef is with the part of society that believes it acceptable and normal to be able to live for free and not have to work. We should just not have to carry these people through life. I lose almost £20k a year in income tax and it makes me sick to see it go to people who don't even have the urge to support themselves or their children.
Ok......my point made!
Errr wow!
Was going to write about my experience, but this thread has already covered it.

[joshmac]

Don't tar us all with the same brush. None of us are perfect. Most of us are sensible. Most of us don't go sleeping around, and I think you'll find most kids don't lose their virginity until 17 or 18.
There are people that don't comform to society, I'm sure there always were..
Don't write us off just yet, we're a nice bunch on the whole.
+1
It's frustrating when people stereotype a whole group by a very small minority within that.
Bleh, I guess it's always gonna' happen though :rolleyes:

[gruntygiggles]

I get quite passionate about things I guess...lol. Don't get me started on immigration, the PC brigade or justice and probabtion in this country.

I was arrested in two years ago for apparently wasting police time. Someone broke into my home while I was in bed (could have been the night before and he was there all night, could have been the morning), but at just gone 6.30am I woke to find an oldish man sitting on my bed. Long story short, nothing bad happened to me aside the sh***ing bricks and some weird attempts by him of clearing any evidence. However, after a 17 hour day going from one police station to another, having photos taken, medical examination (not that I needed it luckily) and a three hour video statement being taken, I was, a week later arrested for apparently fabricating the story as they had found no evidence of a break in or any man being in the house. Funny.....two police men all day taking fingerprints, hair samples, swabbing the toilet etc and they found no evidence of a man? My father came round twice a week, my ex boyfriend came to walk the dogs 3 times a week and I had had a sky engineer in the day before, but no evidence of a man...JOKE!

I had to wait three weeks then to be told the following:-

"We are extremely sorry Cheryl (was very familiar with the DI by this stage) but it seems that the investigation has failed us a little and we have now located the evidence taken from your house. It included a copy of a key that we have determined fitted your back door and some documents of yours dating back a few years with no trace of any fingerprints. We also believe that as your dogs did not bark, the intruder had familiarised himself with them and so, they did not feel the need to alert you. Your neighbours have confirmed that the dogs both always bark at people walking by or knocking the door and so we are convinced of this. It is regretful that we had to arrest you in order to pressure you into giving us more information that we felt you may have been witholding".

I'll never forget that conversation. A few weeks later they got even more evidence but never found anyone.

Doesn't give much confidence does it? They couldn't find the evidence taken from my house, so arrested me.
I did explain that maybe I seemed like I was witholding information because they interviewed me 3 hours after this man had given me 16 250mg ibuprofen and I may not have been totally with it! Again, all I got was an apology.

This country needs sorting out!!! Look at the banks. We need to stop putting 1 person or a board of overpaid directors in charge of things that are so important.

[hob]

+1
It's frustrating when people stereotype a whole group by a very small minority within that.
Bleh, I guess it's always gonna' happen though :rolleyes:


To be fair, most people can be stereotyped quickly and quite accurately, especially the "don't letter box me" type.

Best way is to find a positive stereotype and stick with it :cool:

[ArtyLady]

I get quite passionate about things I guess...lol. Don't get me started on immigration, the PC brigade or justice and probabtion in this country.

I was arrested in two years ago for apparently wasting police time. Someone broke into my home while I was in bed (could have been the night before and he was there all night, could have been the morning), but at just gone 6.30am I woke to find an oldish man sitting on my bed. Long story short, nothing bad happened to me aside the sh***ing bricks and some weird attempts by him of clearing any evidence. However, after a 17 hour day going from one police station to another, having photos taken, medical examination (not that I needed it luckily) and a three hour video statement being taken, I was, a week later arrested for apparently fabricating the story as they had found no evidence of a break in or any man being in the house. Funny.....two police men all day taking fingerprints, hair samples, swabbing the toilet etc and they found no evidence of a man? My father came round twice a week, my ex boyfriend came to walk the dogs 3 times a week and I had had a sky engineer in the day before, but no evidence of a man...JOKE!

I had to wait three weeks then to be told the following:-

"We are extremely sorry Cheryl (was very familiar with the DI by this stage) but it seems that the investigation has failed us a little and we have now located the evidence taken from your house. It included a copy of a key that we have determined fitted your back door and some documents of yours dating back a few years with no trace of any fingerprints. We also believe that as your dogs did not bark, the intruder had familiarised himself with them and so, they did not feel the need to alert you. Your neighbours have confirmed that the dogs both always bark at people walking by or knocking the door and so we are convinced of this. It is regretful that we had to arrest you in order to pressure you into giving us more information that we felt you may have been witholding".

I'll never forget that conversation. A few weeks later they got even more evidence but never found anyone.

Doesn't give much confidence does it? They couldn't find the evidence taken from my house, so arrested me.
I did explain that maybe I seemed like I was witholding information because they interviewed me 3 hours after this man had given me 16 250mg ibuprofen and I may not have been totally with it! Again, all I got was an apology.

This country needs sorting out!!! Look at the banks. We need to stop putting 1 person or a board of overpaid directors in charge of things that are so important.

That is frightening and completely confirms to me that we are right to be worried about inadequate policing and being falsely accused - and they say if you've done nothing wrong you've nothing to worry about?! Look at Sally Clarke, Angela Cannings et al :( I hope you were not too badly affected by that experience because I know I would have ended up a nervous wreck!

Like the woman who got charged with assault the other day because some kids were vandalising something (cant remember what), and she tapped one with a rolled up magazine, and the woman who was charged with criminal damage when she grabbed a kid's bike and threw it out the way when he was wrecking the village war memorial, WTF is wrong with our legal system?!! :confused: :mad:

[joshmac]

Like the woman who got charged with assault the other day because some kids were vandalising something (cant remember what), and she tapped one with a rolled up magazine, and the woman who was charged with criminal damage when she grabbed a kid's bike and threw it out the way when he was wrecking the village war memorial, WTF is wrong with our legal system?!! :confused: :mad:
That's Fu*king ridiculous!

Should've hit them with something harder :)

[gruntygiggles]

ArtyLady, you have it spot on.......the system is so far gone it's just ridiculous. I'm fine, thanks for asking. Was surrounded by a great family and friends and now it's just a part of my past that's been dealt with and left behind!