What's it all about, Alfie? 13 year-old fathers a child
Recriminations fly as 13-year-old is revealed to have fathered a child.
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Independent Minds
If Alfie Patten had the strapping physique of other 13-year-olds, his exposure as the father of a four-day-old daughter might have attracted less attention. Instead, the baby-faced youth, standing four-feet-nothing in his socks, found himself at the centre of a storm of moral anger.
The boy, his child-like features apparently untouched by puberty, was revealed as a new dad in The Sun. His girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman, 15, gave birth to a daughter, Maisie Roxanne, on Monday at Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex, near where they both live.
The pair, aged 14 and 12 when the child was conceived, are not Britain's youngest teenage parents. In 2006, 295 girls aged under 14 became pregnant and 109 went on to have their babies. But they are unusual in reversing the normal rules of teenage sexual engagement – the girl is older by two years than the boy.
Alfie's boyish looks, unbroken voice and failure to grasp the most basic principles of parenthood have led some to question whether he can be the father of the baby, which is said to have resulted from a single act of sex. In an interview on YouTube, the video-sharing website, he was asked if he could provide financially for his family. "What's financially?" he replied.
The case triggered protests over Britain's under-educated, over-sexualised society. England has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe with around 7,296 conceptions among girls under 16 in 2006. The former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said that, although he did not know about these particular families, the episode exemplified the "complete collapse in some parts of society of any sense of what's right and wrong".
"There is no opprobrium any more about behaviour and, quite often, children witness behaviour that's aggressive, violent, rude and sexual. It's as if no one is saying this is wrong," he said.
The couple did not discover Chantelle was pregnant until she went to the doctor at 12 weeks. She said she had missed just one Pill. The pair kept the pregnancy secret for another six weeks until Chantelle's mother, Penny, 38, noticed her daughter's swollen belly. Alfie said: "I thought it would be good to have a baby," but admitted he had been too scared to tell his parents.
Both sets of parents are standing by the pair's decision. Chantelle and Maisie were released from hospital on Thursday and are living with her family (she has five brothers) in a council house in Eastbourne. Alfie was at home yesterday in Hailsham, where he lives with his mother, Nicola, 43.
Alfie's 45-year-old father Dennis, who reportedly has eight other children, said his son wanted to be a devoted and responsible dad, and had wanted to be the first to hold his daughter. "He could have shrugged his shoulders and sat at home on his PlayStation. But he has been at the hospital every day," he said.
The outcome of the pair's early sexual adventure provoked expressions of anger and concern. Nigel Waterson, the MP for Eastbourne, Willingdon and East Dean, said: "This is a very sad story ... which raises huge questions about sex education rather than relationship education in schools, and also about the sexualisation of our society."
Tony Kerridge, spokesman for the sexual health specialist Marie Stopes International, said: "All the evidence from other countries, particularly Scandinavia and Holland, clearly demonstrates that the earlier you start giving young people proper information it delays first sex, and when that sex act does take place the couple usually negotiates some kind of contraceptive usage."
Arthur Cornell, a former headteacher at Chantelle's school and chairman of Family and Youth Concern, expressed puzzlement at the fuss. "I'm surprised there are so many people down here, as though it's a rare occurrence. When you look at the statistics, this sort of thing is happening all over the place."
Parents collecting their children from Chantelle's mixed-sex school, the Cavendish School in Eastbourne, spoke of their shock. Jacqui Buckingham, 41, picking up 12-year-old son, said: "I would be devastated if this involved my son. I think there needs to be more sex education at school. Saying that, this is a good school and my son gets a good education here." Julie Vine, 37, who has a daughter aged 15, said: "I feel sorry for the girl. I wouldn't want my daughter to go through the same situation because I was a young mum as well. But I'm not that shocked because it goes on all the time."
The Children and Young People's minister, Beverley Hughes, said: "The under-16 conception rate has seen a 12.6 per cent reduction since 1998, but reducing teenage pregnancy is a complex challenge requiring a consistent and concerted effort from local areas." She added: "Sixty per cent of pregnancies to under-16s end in abortions. We know life as a teenage parent is hard, with outcomes often very poor."
'What will you do financially?' 'What's financially?'
*Transcript of interview with Alfie:
Q: Do you think you're going to be a good dad?
A: Yeah.
Q: What do you have to do to be a good dad?
A: Just look after her and make sure she gets fed and changed.
Q: What will you do financially?
A: What's financially?
Q: What will you do for money?
A: I dunno.
Q: Have you got lots of support from your family?
A: Yeah.
Q: Do you think you are too young to have a baby?
A: I am.
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Comments
I am afraid you are seeing "The Future of Britain". Yep the Future of Dawkin's Britain !
It will not be long before one of these little babies becomes an MP or even PM.
http://theunpeople.blogspot.com/
In medieval European culture the age of consent was twelve, and in many other cultures it still is. All one can do is point out the severe health risks to the young woman, and the severe financial risk to the young couple AND their parents.
A comment like that concerns me. I'd rather know the child and his family than someone like you. 'Susannah'
I think we have to make harsh decisions and interventions if we are every going to stop this destructive cycle and fast. We have and had generations of people addicted to the welfare state drug that takes away all self respect, responsibility and the pride to be able to provide for your family. The welfare system has been made into a lifestyle choice and not the safety net it was intended. I advocate a welfare system that protects and always will but not this.
Kids with no idea of social, moral or parenting skills dragging up kids to sadly repeat the cycle and we wonder why we have feral kids on our streets.
Revise the benefit system to ensure parents have to contribute to society eg. education and training schemes etc.
Major State investment in adoption schemes for problem kids.
Major State investment in childrens services.
Major State investment in sex education services.
Tougher early State interventions with problem families.
If we want to fix the problems it's going cost but we have to break this cycle because I feel this is causing other social problems we're seeing today. If this can be addressed you'll see a reduction in other problem areas so it'll be cost effective.
Sad sad story.
It's like trying to artificially balance the dynamics of a man-made pond!
is it just for the present you live?
Whats it all about Chantelle?
is it just for the future you live?
WELL GOOD LUCK FOR HIM
GOOD LUCK MATE
What decision are the parents standing by?! that they too are going to ponce off the state while others work to pay for it? And how can a 13 year old be be a caring and resposible dad??!! The boys father is an idiot! That much is clear.
Another thing that is also clear is that the state should no longer have to bear the burden of this type of stupidity. Stop child welfare, stop housing for pregnant mums and stop blaming the goverment. Make people responsible for what they do. When they have to pay for it or go to work, then we will see a decline in pregnant single mums and irresponsible fathers. The only thing labour is to blame for is creating a nannie state where they are to afraid to upset anyone, for the better of the majority. Votes are more important than morals and responsibility.
Romeo and Juliet is frequently studied at school.
Meanwhile the press may benefit from all this fuss but I doubt it will help the families and children involved. If people are really concerned, perhaps they should think of ways to assist the parents who, however young and uncertain, seem concerned to take their responsibilities seriously.
And on religion - why are people bothering. I doubt many think about God etc and damnation whilst in the act. If we all think back to our pre-16 year old youths, would I be wrong in saying that we all thought we were adults or near enough. I sure did. Damnation and hell fire never stopped love but may have driven many to desperation and being stoned to death... Society, thank goodness is a lot more reasoned today in the UK. Try living in countries where people are put to death for such things or imprisoned or have their lives totally destroyed - because of religious extremism.
Getting back to my point - kids can sometimes know better than their parents. Some have tough times at home because some parents can be ignorant or not understanding. Whatever the case, it isn't easy being a young teenager especially bright ones who read, study hard, want to make something positive of themselves, and are let down by the few morons in class. Surely others can see that. A lot get bullied just for being bright or artistic - I don't see a breakdown in society just ignorance and prudish conservative people who have distasteful hateful blaming comments.
Kids should be educated to understand sex and relationships and society not told right and wrong morals, black and white, sinning or purity. As a child I resented condescending patronizing adults. Am I wrong? Do adults forget how they were when they were young and free spirited. Don't let the few spoil it - we're not all stupid or selfish.
And to the guy who said more should be adopted out (meaning removed from their 'dysfunctional' families - I'd like to say I was adopted and it was AWFUL!
If under 16 girls who are so loose to have sex were punished financially and had their babies forciby taken from them and adopted, and all benefits taken away from all single mothers - every single sponge benefit -, and stigma for sluttish behaviour reintroduced, and forced sterilisation threatened for these undesirables, then people would have some motivation to keep their legs shut. No girl in France or Italy or Spain or other countries would be so sluttish. Yet, the anggressive feminists in the UK preach american-style 'bitch' feminism - based on females selfishly satisfying their needs as a right. THAT is why things like this happen. Feminism. End of.
The toothpaste will be hard to put back into the tube but it could be done with the will to do it - tough love means punishing and hurting those who behave badly. And in this case, arresting the olde girl for statuatary rape of a 12 year old (it would be like that were the genders reveresed). This country is a feminist nightmare. No wonder so many men are turning gay - who can bear to sleep with the fattest, most drunken, most diseased ugly sluttich women in europe - yep, that's you brit girlzzzz.
I blame it on hippies, fellow travellers and that under-class down the road on the sink estate and uncle-tom-cobbly who must be in there somewhere.
Yes, because of this reckless boy the whole of British society is coming to an end.
The nature of these cases, including the massive and I mean massive publicity that surrounds them is just plain irresponsible.
Now it will be made into a new fashion as happened with all those awful street stabbings and in Bridgend with those incredibly sad suicides of good young people.
What about the Baby-P case that because of the publicly has lead to a reduction in social worker recruitment and made children more vulnerable to abusers.
The jackals and hacks in the media who whip up the crowd should have restraining orders put on them for the abuse that these naive children are going to get.
If their lives are in chaos now just see how the media will stalk them in the future.
This case should never have been made public, what future does the baby have now that it has been labelled as one of the great sins of mankind, surely the babe at least is the most innocent of creatures. ?
Just ban bike sheds.
It is the aggressiove and assertive irresponsible and selfish behaviour of girls encouraged by feminism that has caused this - in many countries girls would be ashamed to have sex like this or behave so badly; for some reason in the UK they are proud. An average of 30 sexual partners per woman in the UK? Disgraceful. These girls just copy adult women - and british adult women are the most promiscous women in europe.
And one thing we do NOT need is more sex education, as though that was the reason this happened. No, this happened because of lack of stigma, financial reward for underage motherhood, selfish feminism and a lack of morals. THAT must change. The idea that sex education will change anything is a complete red herring.
This baby should have been forcibly taken away and put up for adoption in another country and the parents should be banned from ever tracing it. As it is, in 12 years time the baby will be a parent too - at taxpayers expense. The UK is rotting from within.
p.s. so what if one of these babies grows up to be a MP?
The underlying problem is that because of the need for prolonged education in an advanced society, biologically mature young people are defined and treated as children, so that sex and reproduction on their part provoke a degree of horror that would be more suitable if they were 8 or 9, instead of in their teens.
Then the authoritarians say 'Their bodies are mature but their minds aren't.' True, the younger you are the more you have to learn. But the word 'immature' when such people use it in the social and moral sense means nothing objectively except 'young', so to say 'young teenagers are too immature to have sex/babies' is a tautology.
I am glad that Alfie's and Chantelle's parents, at least, are standing by them. There seems little hope that anyone else will in our intolerant and heartless society.
Now it seems we are turning on our own children to seek an explanation for all our weaknesses when they are the least to blame, its so sad.
surely their backgrounds and today's culture say it all. If he wasn't the father then why would he pretend to be, what would be in it for him? Some new playstation games perhaps?
It's about time something is done in this country to bring an end to such stories.