Exactly, I've heard those very words come out of my students' mouths before. The 11 year old boy in UK didn't know, and neither did one of the 11 year old kids at a local school. It's usually covered up.

1) Yes.
2) No, maybe more frequent use of conception.
3) Most people don't get teen pregnant to make money, but indirectly without it they might spend more money on education and some parents would change their attitude.
4) Has little to do with crime.
5) Has little to do with religion, the only factor there is in the shame.

The two key differences in teen pregnancy rates:
1) Abortion, abortion, abortion. Teen pregnancy is not going to be reported in these cases, thus statistically they never happened.
2) Segregation. Teenagers in the UK are in fact having more sex than teenagers in Japan, due to a lot more opportunity to comingle.

The second point, you've got to see the difference between both societies. The kid father in UK got the girl pregnant at a co-ed sleepover. Tell me, who let's their son sleep over with girls??? Most parents in the UK would never, so this is more an issue with the fact the UK has some very permissive parents who are exceptions in society. Sarah Palin's daughter got pregnant on one of her dates with her boyfriend. Again, most parents would murder their daughter before letting her go unchaperoned with a post-pubescent boy. Japan has the same common sense, it's just enforced more consistently and shame on the parents who don't enforce it.

Furthermore, girls and boys are segregated at the prime ages, especially after school. There's not much free time to hang around with the opposite sex, because of cram school. And many schools, particularly private ones, have strict policies that extend outside the school and are enforced in public.

Another possible explaination is that there is much less inequality in Japan than in the UK. (observe the relevant Gini co-efficients)

By having less economic inequality means a greater economic mobility within a country.

Hence it is relatively easier for a Japanese girl to pursue a reasonably wealthy lifestyle than a similar economic background girl in US or the UK - assuming equal in relevant skills in job market.

So by getting pregnant, a Japanese girl has much more to lose than a similar counterpart in UK or the US. This is a highly likely explaination since it is based on empirics.

When I was in Japan for a brief student-exchange, we (the American students) and the Japanese students were all asked to raise our hand if we know a teenager who was/is pregnant.

Several of the Americans raised their hand, and NONE of the Japanese kids did.

We were also asked if we knew a teenager who had had an abortion; several of us raised our hands but once again NONE of the Japanese students did.


I don't think it was dishonesty... I just don't think they're having sex. :eek:

Having gone to a Japanese high school - and an all girls one at that... I don`t quite think you`re right on that one. There is just a lot more at stake and a lot more education about it.

The circumstances are simply different. Most girls I knew had their first time at a hotel - bathed, clean, with ample condoms at hand that were put to use. There was a "myth" going around that the first time was easier than normal to get pregnant, so people were CAREFUL. The sheer cost of abortion also makes it very hard to get one easily (around $1000 if you`re lucky and catch it in the first few weeks). A stronger family life also makes a difference as parents seems to be more likely to care and pay attention to their children, so it would be harder to hide.

Unless, of course, there is family participation. If mom and dad decide that their little girl isn`t going to have a baby at 16... No one has to know.

Lol.

That's why I joined the group called. "C.O.D. (Call of Duty), Stopping teen pregnacy since 2003." :)

I think that there is a serious lack of morals in England and the family unit is breaking down and not as strong as it used to be.
Living in England I see more and more young parents, some of which do not deserve to be parents!!!

I think this whole stopping teen pregnancy deal is bullshit
It is natural .. it is biological .. it is the time when our sexual organs are developing and need to be exercised. it is only because of this system that we do not encourage it.. it is only because teens do not have stable jobs which can support a family.. it is because of school.
no other animal on this planet attempts to halt their offspring from reproducing when their offspring develops sexual organs...
do you know why some animals develop sexual desires earlier than the time when they could viably reproduce offspring? it's so that they gain practice with a failed child.. some of this lack of failure in parenting might go to explain a lack of parenting in the long run (i.e. parents have no experiences in which their offspring die or develop with issues and such don't learn from wrong choices.. their parenting has not been developed with a policy of "learn by doing".. only by "learn by observing" and that is never a good system in and of itself)

Teen pregnancy.. Huh. Interesting subject. In the US we have a problem also. I think that many countries have that issue the question is though is it an issue in a country where women are born and raised to become wives?

In countries like the US and UK women have the ability to become as prosperous as men because of this reason those who have children young, or get married young are looked at as if they've just ruined their whole lives but I don't think that's true. If all you want from life is to raise a family then so be it. Having a child sometimes even teaches young girls who are going down the wrong path to straighten up.

Now back on topic, I think Japan is a more career focused country and because of this reason teenagers have less time to mess around, I could be wrong though. It's just an assumption.