Do Parents Have a Right to Know?

[Shade Everdark]

In the circumstance of women below the age of majority who get pregnant and want to have an abortion, do the parents have a right to know? Should they have a say in the decision? Should they be allowed to overrule the girl's decision?

[Onyx]

That's really a hard one. Some parents are stupid.

I'd have to look at it on a case-by-case basis, and that's not even practical.

I just don't know the answer.

[Senay]

That's really a hard one.  Some parents are stupid.

I'd have to look at it on a case-by-case basis, and that's not even practical. 

I just don't know the answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I concur.

[soothsayer]

I think that parents should know what's going on in their child's life. I think that the courts need to be less involved in famly matters. Our government needs to be less involved in our lives, period. It's unfortunate that underage girls find themselves in these situations. It's just a God damn shame that more families aren't functioning more properly. Just because a 15 year old girl can have a baby does not mean she is mature enough to make the right choices.There is no one answer to cover this issue, but I feel it should be dealt with between parent and child and not law book and child.

[TomCat]

Ultimately, parents are the caretakers of their children, and having an abortion is a risky endeavor. Thus, despite the "qualifications of the parents and their parenting skill package," I'd have to say that they are entitled to be a part of the decision making process. But That just opens up a HUGE can of worms.

[The_Dark]

Hard question. Hard answer.

Yes.

Parents are accountable legally for everything a child does, so what makes people think that they wouldn't have a right to know and be involved.

[JaneDead]

I think that parents should know what's going on in their child's life.  I think that the courts need to be less involved in famly matters. Our government needs to be less involved in our lives, period. It's unfortunate that underage girls find themselves in these situations. It's just a God damn shame that more families aren't functioning more properly. Just because a 15 year old girl can have a baby does not mean she is mature enough to make the right choices.There is no one answer to cover this issue, but I feel it should be dealt with between parent and child and not law book and child.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

my thoughts exactly.

i also think that if my daughter gets pregnant at 13, 14, 15 she should not just *decide* to get an abortion or just *decide* to have that child. i don't think a child at 13 knows what kind of consequences that decision would have, all on her own.

i also think if my child gets pg at 13 i REALLY fucked up somehow raising her!! and i really don't want a court to *decide* what my child should do with her body in that case.

[Brenda Starrr]

I had better know if this were to happen. It's not right to let a child go through this alone. I just couldn't do it.

I'm in agreement with Dyno. If this were to happen, I must have really fecked up.

[Sybil]

i had an abortion @ 21... a decision i regret, but that isnt the point.. i told my parents.... after the whole thing was done... i told my parents.. they cried.. as did my sis and bro....

..and me..

but i had to tell them...

[lullaby1031]

I think it depends on case to case - I have a cousin who got pregnant at 14 and wanted to keep it. She fought and fought her dad over getting an abortion. In the end, she ended up being forced to. I understand his point of view, and I understood hers so it was a hard thing for her to deal with.

I think that if their younger and they feel that they can be open with their parents, then by all means let them be involved but, you do have some stupid parents out there that do not care about the kids feelings. All in all, babies having babies isn't a good idea at all. Going through a pregnancy is hard enough when your single & young, or married and older. It's to much for a young teen to deal with especially if they have no one to help. That's mostly their biggest fears is "How am I to take care of it?" "Who will be around to help?" If those options are like a door being slammed in their face because they know how the parents will react, then, possibly its a good idea to give it up to an adoption agency or abortion. I personally would rather give it up for adoption then abortions, but only becuase I know some other family would HOPEFULLY take better care of them then I would be able to.

[SomeDanGuy]

The girl should certainly be encouraged to tell her parents, but I don't think it should be mandatory in all cases. Either make it optional or make a list of acceptable reasons not to. For example, I don't think the hospital should tell the parents about it if the girl truly fears for her physical safety, or if her father or other family member is the one who raped/impregnated her.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Terms used here are a bit to vauge to comment properly. What age are we talking about? What is "younger than average"? 18? 5?

If a "child" is past , whatever a given state views as "The age of concent" (16 in michigan i think) i'm assuming the parents basicly have nothing to say about it, any more than me, at 30 doing something is anything my own parents are legally bound to know about.

Unfortunately regardless of what age we pick, something is going to get screwed up. Maturity and intelligent decision making isnt a function of age, but we rarely use any other yardstick except age to decide how to deal with these kinds of things, due to it just being too complicated to do it any other way.

[Scary Guy]

I've never liked anyone telling me what to do and even when I was younger I always knew what I wanted. I say it should be their choice period. If the parents disagree they can disown them when their old enough or just put them into state care or something. Extremely bad scenereo but hey, stuff happens.

[honeymustard02]

The story he's talking about is the one I posted. The girl is 13.

I also think it's a case to case thing.

But ultimately I think the child needs to tell SOMEONE. That is not something to take lightly, and go through alone. Even more so at such a young age.

[Black Sunday9]

at 13 the parent HAS to be notified. Come on, 13!!!! As the Dark said the child is the legal responsibility of the parents. I think any parent in the world would be outraged if they were not notified of their 13 year old childs pregnancy.

[Rozzlyn]

In the circumstance of women below the age of majority who get pregnant and want to have an abortion, do the parents have a right to know?  Should they have a say in the decision?  Should they be allowed to overrule the girl's decision?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends on the situation. Of course, if the girl is of legal age to consent to sex without her parents persecuting her boyfriend for statutory, then she should have the right to make the decision about the possible consequences of sex without parental consent.

[Goth Brooks]

Depends on the situation.  Of course, if the girl is of legal age to consent to sex without her parents persecuting her boyfriend for statutory, then she should have the right to make the decision about the possible consequences of sex without parental consent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stole my answer!

Yes, as long as the girl is above the legal age of consent, I believe it should be her choice whether to inform her parents or not.

[JaneDead]

it seems to me that people with kids might/will answer this one differently than people who don't have kids.

i think it is easy to say what you think is right or what you would do or what you think a child should be able to do .... if you don't have kids.

even at 16, or whatever legal age, i would really want my child to come to me about something this big whether she has to LEGALLY or not. i don't think a 16 year old girl should go through something like this alone. a decision to have a child/not have a child/give up for adoption - is not so black and white. it is not so easy to know what is the right thing and what decision you can live with-- sometimes at ANY age let alone 13, 14, 15, even 16.

[Fierce Critter]

If you remove the moral/stimatic nature of the procedure, what you're left with is the straight fact that a medical procedure, with related risks & potential after-effects, is being performed on a person.

Last I knew, a minor under the age of 18 couldn't walk into a hospital and have a tonsillectomy done without the written consent of a parent/guardian.

I really don't see why an abortion should be any different.

[JaneDead]

exactly. good point.

[Lilith]

if my child gets pregnant i have a right to know, unless she is over 18, but untill 18 i am the one responisble for everything they do ( as a parent if my kids commits a crime it is possible that i would be the one to do the time not my child) so i have the right to know everythng they do. No questions asked i should know about it plain and simple.

lilith

[Marblez]

I believe that it should be required that someone 17 or younger have either parental permission or court approval. If the child fears their parents AND there is justification for this fear such as history of abuse or investigation by child welfare services, they should not be required to gain permission from the parents. Additionally, a parent should not be able to force an abortion upon their daughter. If the girl does NOT want an abortion and she is of a sufficient age that it would not physically endanger her, suitable foster care should be provided and she should be provided the necessary parental/life skills training.

[Lilith]

I believe that it should be required that someone 17 or younger have either parental permission or court approval. If the child fears their parents AND there is justification for this fear such as history of abuse or investigation by child welfare services, they should not be required to gain permission from the parents.  Additionally, a parent should not be able to force an abortion upon their daughter.  If the girl does NOT want an abortion and she is of a sufficient age that it would not physically endanger her, suitable foster care should be provided and she should be provided the necessary parental/life skills training.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

very good point

[Scary Guy]

The story he's talking about is the one I posted. The girl is 13.

I also think it's a case to case thing.

But ultimately I think the child needs to tell SOMEONE. That is not something to take lightly, and go through alone. Even more so at such a young age.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What's your point?

[Steven]

very tough "real life" question that cannot be easily categorized or answerd without some afterthought......

On the whole, I am against abortion - yet still Pro-Choice. I just think that in most cases, the choice is wrong. I alos hate the way that a human embryo in various stages of development is re-labled in an effort to remove the humanity of it. We call it "tissue" or "Zygote" - nameless, faceless, guiltless medical summerizations of a life with not enough future value to protect and release into the arms of another person or couple who would take the child and create a life for it.

Maybe the real question at hand is "why have we lost our reverance for another human life?"

As for parents.....yes, I think they should know, simply because a young girls is still in fact a young girl - ill prepared and without enough werewithall to be self sufficient. But as someone in here wisely pointed out....some parents are simply idiots.

I dont understand why a 14 year old girl must have carnal knowledge.

I dont understand why so many fathers lack true intimacy with their daughters.

I dont understand why so many parents simply dont parent - they fear the difficulties of the process and so they place their own comfort levels above that of their children and say foolish things like "what are you gonna do? You cant keep them locked up...?"

Sure you can (keep them locked up).

You keep their self worth and respect and dignity and security locked up in their hearts by a constant pouring in of love, attention, and discipline. You CREATE worth. And you do not allow any threatening entity to that into your inner circle.

.....but it has to be worth it.