Society How comes the US has such a high rate of teen pregnancies and divorces ?

Maciamo

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I was looking at the stats on Nation Master and it struck me that the US was a world away from other developed countries, not just Europe, but also Canada, Australia, Japan and Korea, for quite a few things.

First of all, the teenage pregnacy rate is 1702.66 births per 1 million people, not just the highest in the world, but 5 to 10 times higher than most Western European countries (Eastern Europe, Ireland and Portugal are a bit nearer), and 12 times higher than in Japan.

Looking at the divorce rate, it is not much better. The USA also top the list with 4.95 divorces per 1000 people, although there is no data for most of Europe (the UK and Denmark are close with 3.08 and 2.81, but Portugal and Italy are at the botton of the list with 0.88 and 0.27). Comparable stats from Divorce Form give us 0.7 for Ireland, 0.9 for Spain, 1.1 for Poland, 1.92 for Japan, 2 for France, 2.1 for the Netherlands, 2.28 for Canada, 2.3 for Germany, 2.4 for Sweden and 2.6 for both Belgium and Australia. So the US has about 2 to 5x more divorces than other developed countries, and even 18x higher than Italy.

In Europe the more religious the country and the lower the divorce rate, with naturally countries like Ireland, Poland and Spain at the bottom (and the Benelux, Scandinavia and the UK at the top). However, this doesn't work in the US, which is certainly more religious than any European country (even Ireland and Poland).

The US also has one of the highest rate of rapes per capita (0.30 per 1000 people) in any developed countries, surprisingly only preceded by Australia (0.79) and Canada (0.74). In comparison, the rates in Europe range from 0.04 in Italy, Czech Republic, Romania or Russia to 0.14 in Spain, France and the UK. So the US rate is about 2 to 7x higher than in Europe in this case. The rape rate in South Korea is 0.12 per 1000 and it is negligible in Japan (0.005).
 
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Nice thread, Maciamo. :cool:

I have one theory as to why we have such a high divorce rate. Here in the US, it really doesn't seemed to be frowned upon for people to get divorces. I only point this out because I know in other cultures, divorce is frowned upon and it's one of the worst things you can do. And I think it also because it's very easy to get a divorce.

As far as the teenage pregnacy rate being so high. I think it may have to with the issue of birth control and using protection. It seems, (at least here in the US) that if you put a teen on birth control, it's as if you're giving them a license to have sex. And it's also a huge possibilty that sex education in this nation isn't. So, basically what I'm saying is we're not being too smart when it comes to teens and sex.
 
Hmm, I think that the teenage pregnancy thing is that parents try to shield their kids from sex, and sexual behavior. They don't talk about it, they avoid the issue, and next thing you know their kid went out and tried it and voila. I agree with Ma Cherie on her points. Also, it was my impression that in Europe couples last longer, but I'm not so sure about that. I've gone out with some american girls before and well ja i just can't come up with a theory yet to distinct between romantic relations in the US and in Europe, but to me it just seems like here the couple life is a bit longer, perhaps I'm wrong about this, just a small hypothesis.
 
SHORT & SIMPLE !

We are all horny little devils with short attention spans that get bored fast & easy.

Frank

:p :blush:
 
since i'm an exchange student in the us i have an opinion

the reason for so many teenage pregnancies, and divorces is:

[exaggerated]
- americans start dating when 14
- americans start having sex when 14,5
- americans start having children when 15
- americans start beein married when 18
[/exaggerated]

of course thats exaggerated. but my point is while european people usually get married and have children later in their life (i'd say between 25 and 30) americans get married at a very young age when their life might not have a direction.
if i'd be 20 years old, in college, having a litte job, a wife, a kid and a dog to worry about i'd go nuts because it's just too much for me

but if i am 20 something like 26 or so, i got my college degree, i got a fair job, i think about getting married and im financially and psychologically matured and stable, it's a different situation
 
Rednecks, poverty, inbreding, and crystal meth. Do I need to say more?

Doc:ramen::happy:
 
I'll tell you why....

During my grandparents generation people got married for practical reasons, not for love. So many people in my parents generation grew up in loveless homes. So then my parents generation, fueled by the ideals of hippy freedom, married for love. When the love faded, there was no practical commitment to fill the void. With the "do what ya want" thinking of the generation, divorce no longer had the stigma it had in their parents generation. Now my generation is reacting to the mistakes of my parents' generation and not getting married until they're in their 30's, if at all. It's becomming common for people to live together for years without getting married. It seems that what every generation does is just a reaction to the mistakes the previous generation made.

Shas wrote...
- americans start beein married when 18
You must be somewhere in "The Bible Belt" or something `cause that just isn't true around here. I'm 28, and I only know two married couples. I know a lot of couples living together though.

As for teen pregnancies, a lot of that has to do with religious ideals. Children aren't taught about safe sex because they think talking about it would be encouraging it. When they inevitably have sex, if they get pregnant, the church also says that abortion shouldn't be an option for them. So the church basically says, "Don't do it, and if you do, you're screwed."
 
brooker: ok im sorry im in alabama :lol: (look at docs post above brookers :))
 
Shas said:
brooker: ok im sorry im in alabama :lol: (look at docs post above brookers :))
Alabama!? :bikkuri: Run! Get out of there! It's not too late to save yourself!! I think all foreign exchange students who come to America should only stay in large cities or all they're going to see is the most backwards thinking America has to offer and that's the impression they're going to have of America forever. I wouldn't even recommend a suburb of a large city. I'd hate for some poor exchange student to get trapped in an enless life draining sea of corporate strip malls. I hate going to the suburbs. I only leave the city to go to another city or to go camping. I've heard too many stories of exchange students going to $h!++y backwater towns and hating every minute of it.
 
Brooker said:
During my grandparents generation people got married for practical reasons, not for love. So many people in my parents generation grew up in loveless homes. So then my parents generation, fueled by the ideals of hippy freedom, married for love. When the love faded, there was no practical commitment to fill the void. With the "do what ya want" thinking of the generation, divorce no longer had the stigma it had in their parents generation. Now my generation is reacting to the mistakes of my parents' generation and not getting married until they're in their 30's, if at all. It's becomming common for people to live together for years without getting married.

It'd exactly the same in other Western countries. It's interesting to see that in many Western European countries, it's already much more common to live together without being married. In fact the US also has the highest marriage rate in the developed world. But the difference in rate is not as marked as for divorce and teen pregnancy. Sweden, which has the lowest marriage rate (4.7/1000) only has half the marriage rate of the US (9.8/1000), while the UK (6.8), Germany (6.5), Japan (5.8) and France (5.1) are somewhere in between.

So we could say that marriage is still more important for American people, maybe because the Americans are more religious in average than any other Westerners (+ Japanese). But that does not explain the high divorce rate at all, except if divorce is not sanctioned by most forms of Protestant (i.e. non-Catholic) Christianity in th US. Could someone confirm this ? The Catholic Church has always be opposed to divorce, but what about the Baptists, Evangelists, Presbyterians/Calvinists, Quakers, Lutherians, Methodists, Puritans, Fundamentalists, etc. ?

As for teen pregnancies, a lot of that has to do with religious ideals. Children aren't taught about safe sex because they think talking about it would be encouraging it. When they inevitably have sex, if they get pregnant, the church also says that abortion shouldn't be an option for them. So the church basically says, "Don't do it, and if you do, you're screwed."

This is one of the typical irresponsible behaviours linked to Judeo-Christian religions that I like to criticise. The only fact that Bush supports such beliefs (e.g. abstention, no right to abortion...) is one of the factors that has made him unpopular in the dominantly liberal and non-religious European countries (and among liberal and non-religious Americans ;-) ).
 
Brooker said:
As for teen pregnancies, a lot of that has to do with religious ideals. Children aren't taught about safe sex because they think talking about it would be encouraging it. When they inevitably have sex, if they get pregnant, the church also says that abortion shouldn't be an option for them. So the church basically says, "Don't do it, and if you do, you're screwed."

I totally agree with you. This is what infuriates my mother, who is a sex education teacher. She had her friend, who is an OB/GYN, come in and give very informative and candid discussions, but they cut it out because it was just "too much". Yeah, too much Southern Baptist influence.

I think a part of the teen pregnancy problem has to do with the the lack of a caring father. A lot of girls these days don't get a lot of attention(or none at all) from their fathers because of broken homes. A lot of fathers are out of the picture completely, so that leaves girls lacking attention from male role models. Desperate for male attention and approval, they will easily sleep with almost anyone and also be careless about protection because of that same reason. A lot are thinking a baby will keep them tied to the person or that by having a baby, they will finally have someone they know(they think) will love them unconditionally, forever.

A lot of factors.
 
kirei_na_me said:
I think a part of the teen pregnancy problem has to do with the the lack of a caring father. A lot of girls these days don't get a lot of attention(or none at all) from their fathers because of broken homes. A lot of fathers are out of the picture completely, so that leaves girls lacking attention from male role models. Desperate for male attention and approval, they will easily sleep with almost anyone and also be careless about protection because of that same reason.

I think you found the key to why Japanese girls are the way they are, and why some don't mind going out with men old enough to be their father. It's common knowledge that most Japanese fathers tend to be absent, as they work so much (or go drinking with colleagues afterwards) that they never see their children. I think it's even worse than in Japan. However, Japan has the lowest rate of teenage pregnacies of any developed countries in spite of teenage sex and lack of protection being so widespread. Don't know how they do. They are just more careful (because of social shame ?), or the older men they sleep with are more responsible because they are already married :D, or they secretly abort more :?
 
Americans tend to be passionate to the point of being irrational. And Americans believe in and want the perfect fairy tale love and life and are willing to risk almost certain failure for the slightest chance they'll get it. The Japanese often accuse the Western version of "love" of being childish and unrealistic.
 
Brooker said:
Alabama!? :bikkuri: Run! Get out of there! It's not too late to save yourself!! I think all foreign exchange students who come to America should only stay in large cities or all they're going to see is the most backwards thinking America has to offer and that's the impression they're going to have of America forever. I wouldn't even recommend a suburb of a large city. I'd hate for some poor exchange student to get trapped in an enless life draining sea of corporate strip malls. I hate going to the suburbs. I only leave the city to go to another city or to go camping. I've heard too many stories of exchange students going to $h!++y backwater towns and hating every minute of it.


well ... I actually like living here. I'd be happy if people would be a little less racist [against african americans] but i like it :D

of course i understand not the whole usa are this way :D
 
Quite amazing statistics, aren't they !

I'm particularly intrigued by the comparison with Canadian figures ! I was slightly surprised at the teenage pregnancy and divorce numbers ...... but floored by the rape statistics !

I didn't realise that the Canadians and Australians were such an evil lot 'with their pants down' !

Is it possible that in both Australia and Canada (...dare I say this ...?) we have a much higher percentage of, shall we say, rural 'rednecks' with nothing better to do ? (That's my wife's suggestion...)

....Or (- not trying to make light of it -) is it the beer ....?

Concerned regards,

?W????
 
Brooker said:
Americans tend to be passionate to the point of being irrational. And Americans believe in and want the perfect fairy tale love and life and are willing to risk almost certain failure for the slightest chance they'll get it. The Japanese often accuse the Western version of "love" of being childish and unrealistic.

Ok, but you can't say that the Italians are not passionate about love, probably more than the Americans... Yet, they have the lowest divorce rate and one of lowest teenage pregnancy rate of any developed countries. Still doesn't explain why Americans are the way they are. I think one clue comes from other English-speaking countries. The UK has the highest divorce rate after the US. Ireland, Canada and Australia also have quite high teenage pregnancy rates (and there is no stats for the UK, but it could be high too). Looking at rapes, Australia and Canada have higher rates than the US. I guess there is something linked to the English-speaking culture rather than just a specificity of the US alone, although it is more evident in the States for divorces and teen pregnancies.

Another clue is that it is poorer or more isolated countries that tend to have a high pregnancy rate (Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Greece, New Zealand => isolated; Slovakia, Czech Rep., Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Greece, New Zealand => poorer). So my guess was that poverty played an important role, and the US has the highest poverty rate of any developed countries (over 12%, but much higher among teenagers).

It is also obvious that the US is a pretty isolated country, but I still don't see a direct connection. Could it be that isolation has a direct effect on the education system ? (as I said before, it is where some similarities between the US and Japan regarding ignorance about the rest of the world originates).

The third reason is of course the puritanism in the education, as mentioned by Kirei above.
 
Brooker said:
Americans tend to be passionate to the point of being irrational. And Americans believe in and want the perfect fairy tale love and life and are willing to risk almost certain failure for the slightest chance they'll get it. The Japanese often accuse the Western version of "love" of being childish and unrealistic.


i think the problem with many young people here don't think about what happens in 5 years or more. they only thing about tomorrow and now.



let me put up an example: somebody i know (16) wanted his mum to sign a loan so he could buy a 4wheeler for 5600 dollar (!!!!). he'd pay it down within 5 years. he wants it because he has springbreak and he wants to camp out and do mudriding and redneckstuff.

what he didnt think about is that he'll get out of school in 2 years and he needs time and money for college and maybe even a house. but still in 5 years he'll still pay 100 dollars a month and more for his freaking fourwheeler

that's the kind of immaturity im talking about. and if people like that get married ... well there you have a good marriage with happy children...

on the other hand the usa are the only country that is IRRESPONSIBLE ENOUGH to let teens marry and drive cars and take loans and keep kids.



...

i didnt mean to offend anybody, but i think this is the cause for it.

:sorry:
 
Shas said:
on the other hand the usa are the only country that is IRRESPONSIBLE ENOUGH to let teens marry and drive cars and take loans and keep kids.
I don't know of any countries that don't allow teens to do those things. In America you are an adult at 18 and allowed to make your own decisions. I wouldn't have it any other way. True freedom means no one is protecting you from making mistakes. With freedom comes responsibility. Some people don't have the responsibility, but at least they have the freedom to be irresponsible. :-)

Don't be too quick to make broad generalizations based on a few random people you've met in ALABAMA!
 
:sorry:

i dont know of any other country were you can drive at the age of 16, and I don't fully base my opinion on the one case i mentioned as an example.

on the other hand, i made my point and it`s not productive for me to try to defend it or so ecause i don't want to start a personal discussion and i understand your point
 
Shas said:
:sorry:

i dont know of any other country were you can drive at the age of 16, and I don't fully base my opinion on the one case i mentioned as an example.

Actually - Canada also allows you to drive at sixteen. (And in the UK you could/can drive a motorcycle at sixteen - it was deemed not so dangerous...?)

I agree - it's a little too young.

I made my son wait until he was eighteen ... but he still has three "fender-benders" to his credit !

One less than me in the same period !

Oh, hum .....!

Shamefully,

?W????
 
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