Post on 24-Feb-2023
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT1
Premarital Sexual Intercourse among Adolescents
and Baby Abandonment
Hafizatul Salma Harif Fathilah (101059)
Siti Aisyah Mohd Khizam (104412)
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT2
Centre for Foundation Studies of International Islamic UniversityMalaysia
GHM2113 Basic Research Methods & Report Writing, Section 803
Madam Nursiah Abu Bakar
March 28, 2012
Research Idea
Premarital Sexual Intercourse among Adolescents and Baby
Abandonment
Research Question
How does uncontrolled involvement of adolescents in premarital
sex lead to the abandoned babies?
Research Hypothesis
The higher the number of adolescents who get involved in
premarital sex, the higher the number of abandoned babies.
Independent variable : The number of adolescents who get
involved in premarital sex
Dependent variable : The number of abandoned babies
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT3
Premarital Sexual Intercourse among Adolescents and BabyAbandonment
INTRODUCTION
Premarital sexual is now becoming a serious problem in our
society, more or less to the individual who involves as well due
to the number of cases which are very surprising. Lee et al.
(2006) revealed that 5.4% of 4500 adolescents had experienced
sexual intercourse before marriage when the questionnaires being
distributed to the selected location in Negeri Sembilan,
Malaysia. Sixty-five infants have been found so far this year,
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT4
causing officials to fear the total will exceed the average of
100 per year (Gooch, 2010). In order to handle this problem, it
is going to take a combined effort to focus on the factors,
causes and solutions. Thus, it can help to end this issue in our
society.
The goal of this research is to establish awareness among
society within this issue, so that it will indirectly reduce the
number of cases in future. This report is written due to our
concern in order to fulfill our responsibility towards society.
Adolescents are the major group that involved in the problem.
Readers should realize that this kind of problem emerging many
threats. This literature review considers whether our finding can
contribute solution regarding the issue of premarital sexual
intercourse among adolescents that affect the number of abandoned
babies by responding to the following questions:
1. What are the factors of premarital sex and baby
abandonment issues?
2. Does premarital sex lead to baby abandonment?
3. What are the best solutions to apply?
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT5
According to West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2
(2008), “Premarital sex is sexual intercourse between a man and a
woman who are not married to each other”. This has brought the
idea that adolescents who are still young and immature to be
involving in the serious relationship such marriage are the major
focus in the subject matter. There are very strong evidences to
indicate that pre-marital sex is definitely the norm rather than
the exception and there are no doubt that the majority of
Malaysians today engages in pre-marital sex (Seng, 2009).
Adolescents living with one parent have higher rate of sexual
activity than those living with both parents (Lee et al., 2006).
The other familiar names for premarital sex are also called
fornication, non-marital sex, youthful sex, adolescent sex and
young-adult sex. Again, it is clearly shows that the indicator of
who involves is there.
The phrase “baby abandonment refers to discarding or leaving
alone, for an extended period of time, a child younger than 12
months of age in a public or private setting with the intent to
dispose of the child” (Child Welfare League of America Program
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT6
Office, 2001) or commonly known as the practice of dumping
offspring outside of legal adoption. The abandoned babies refer
to children who have been treated in this manner, also called a
foundling or throwaway.
What are the factors of premarital sex and baby abandonment
issues?
“Many adolescents have engaged themselves in premarital sex
as a result of curiosity” (Adewale, 2009). They thought that they
were searching for reality but they ended up destroying
themselves. Even though they have been approached to the negative
side of premarital sex but they are still unsatisfied with the
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT7
fact that they must avoid themselves from committing sex.
Children develop right and wrong concepts not from the books but
from what they see on the television and what they see around
them (Shahid Athar, n.d.).They really want to experience this
thing because they want to prove that they are already grown up
but the truth is they are still immature to know what they doing
are wrong or right and they need someone who can guide them.
Adewale (2009) believed that media is the cause of
premarital sex. Adolescents exposed to sexual content through
televisions, films, songs, videos and other electronic media. It
can clearly be seen its potential effect on their sexual
attitudes. Presently, adolescents have easy access not only to
sexual content in movies, television, and music videos but also
to Internet-based pornography (Wong et al., 2009). Every products
advertised on television are just promoting sex. In fact, to
advertise food items they use the element of sex and of course
this may lead them to experience what they saw in television.
Sieker (2004) wrote that negative sexual attitudes and roles
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT8
portrayed in drama and especially music videos can lead
adolescents to misguided and damaging behavior.
Baby abandonment happens because of the societal norms and
the fact that our governments have now made our sexual attitudes
and behaviors extremely liberalized that western values are now
excessively glamorized and that parents are permissive and over-
indulgent, and are very neglectful of their duties toward their
children (Ngum, 2009).
“Weaknesses of the family institution also may lead adolescents
to get involved in premarital sex” (Awang, 2010).
There are many parents who trust their children to
determine the direction of their life. They are not monitoring
their children on what they are doing, who their friends are, and
where they are going. This will break their family institution.
These adolescents will make friend with people who will
influenced them to commit sex. Thus, premarital sex is not
hundred percent can be blame on adolescents. Furthermore,
children that are not well brought up are likely to fall into
wrong hand (Adewale, 2009).
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT9
They will start to engage to unhealthy relationship. Once
they commit sex, they will be addicted to it and keep on doing
it. As the result, it may cause early pregnancy to adolescent
girls. Christopher & Cate (1984) believed that many of them who
get pregnant as involving in premarital sexual are willing to
throw the baby with the hope that it will give the opportunity
for them to start a new life and also caused by them who are not
will being teased and swear by the local community that considers
the issue as a disgrace.
Does premarital sex lead to baby abandonment?
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT10
The increasing number of adolescents engaged in premarital
sex is a major concern that may cause pregnancies somehow will
lead to abandoned babies (Ab Rahman, 2011). The pregnancy might
not happen only if studies were prioritized rather than having
relationships with the opposite sex. Most of the girls just bear
with the consequences mostly when their partners did not want to
be responsible, thus they do not have any choice rather than
abandoned their babies anywhere (Adewele, 2009).
Adams (2012) reported that “Over 80% of post abortive women
said they would have had the baby if the guy had been supportive.
Five guys find out their girl is pregnant; the first two pressure
abortion, the third walks away or was never present, the fourth
sticks around for 80 to 120 days, and the fifth steps up
totally”. This not a woman’s problem only but it is a lack of
manhood problem.
For those who are not having enough gut to take the risk for
abortion, they rather decided to give birth to the baby, but then
at the end of it, because of some reasons, they dump the baby
without hesitate. In 2011, Perera (2011) proclaimed that cruel
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT11
deed happens repeatedly to these babies usually just after they
were born. Gooch (2010) also noted that they also do not have any
idea on how to raise their babies at young age and facing problem
such as being thrown away by their own families. In most of the
cases, the babies were already dead when they were found by
someone else.
Many adolescents have “engaged themselves in premarital sex
as a result of curiosity” (Adewale, 2009). They thought they were
searching for reality, but they ended up destroying themselves.
They are not satisfied with what their life and start to rebel by
experience it.
A researcher found that some of adolescents get involved in
premarital sex because of money, wealth and position at all cost
hence, they are willing to use their bodies to get it by sleeping
around with men (Poulin,2007,p 2388). Adewale (2009) noted that
most of them came from broken homes. They easily fall into wrong
hands due to the situation of their homes. These may consequence
unwanted pregnancies and to survive, they abandoned their baby
without any piety.
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT12
What are the best solutions to apply?
An expert revealed that “Pre-marital sex, intercourse that
is committed between two persons before entering a commitment of
holy marriage, appears quite commonplace in today’s society”
(Howard, 2007). In this case, to guarantee a hundred percent
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT13
success in solving this problem is probably impossible but when
the “solution is presented to teens in a way that provides the
knowledge and skills needed to abstain from sex before marriage”
(Rocky Mountain Family Council, 2011). Everyone should take part
in educating adolescents especially parents. Ishak (2010)
tells us that children who grow up without guidance and knowledge
on sex may end up misusing whatever information they have
gathered informally. Many parents are less keen to talk about sex
openly with their children (Jain, 2011). Durojaiye (1972) (as
cited in Olubunmi, 2010,18) believed that this is because for the
elderly, the issue of sex is less important to be discussing with
the children and parents are not fully equipped with the answer
on sexual matters helpfully.
Siraj (as cited in Amirul Ihsan, 2010) uncovered that there
are two extreme views, one is the traditional, restrictive and
conservative parents who never educate their kids or talk about
sex and the liberals who think that it is not important anyway.
Both conservative and liberal parents must meet in a halfway for
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT14
them to realize that sex education talk by them may help their
children to deal with the issues.
Amirul Ihsan (2010) stressed that parents must be part of
their adolescents children in any matter, treat them as your best
friend, show your concern and never raise any irrelevant issue
about only children must show respect towards parent but you must
respect them neither. They will never do something wrong behind
your view, instead “we should expect more virtue from our
teenagers and they should expect more wise counsel from us”
(RMFC, 2011). Educate them with moral and religion knowledge so
that they will aware about allowed and forbidden acts (Shahid
Athar, n.d.).
Although, the government has proposed to create a sex
education subject in school has invited a variety of reactions
from parents and the community. For them, if these subjects are
taught at the school, it will only encourage teenagers to have
sex outside of marriage. This situation causes many girls
involved in the problem of abandoned babies for pregnant before
marriage (Gooch, 2010).
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT15
As parents, it is important to understand the depth of sex
education to their children to prevent their teens to get
involved. Mohd. Amin (2010) wrote that the government claimed the
subject was intended as a protection for the children on matters
related to sexuality and anatomy of the human body. Therefore,
youth are able to distinguish between what is right with the
things that bring the evil in their lives such as baby
abandonment case.
The abandoned baby cases become worse because of young
children are now exposed to a variety of information about sex
and related teachings from sources such as friends, books, and
media, consisting of advertising, television, magazines and the
Internet (Lee, 1999). Filby (2010) proposed that these materials
have been misinterpreted by teenagers thus sex education will
help them to provide authentic and info to improve their
misleading information.Therefore, the problem of abandoned babies
can be reduced when the awareness of the importance of care issue
that has been born with perfect.
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT16
Controlling the media resources action should be taken
seriously such computer safety, television blocking and cell
phone safety. Again, parents should show their support in order
to keep track and control over content access by their children.
Filby (2010) wrote that “Parents must restrict not only the
quality of media children consume, but also the quantity”. He
doubts that when a child is watching many television programs, it
is consider danger to soul to be compared with previous time when
it is only wasting time. Set a limitation in your children’s
usage and educate them with general understanding while surfing
the internet; about how to evaluate the content and protection
from immoral sites and channel.
An expert posited that once these are established, the moral
integrity and wisdom gained by young people can be used together
to make responsible decisions (Howard, 2007). Through the proper
education and reintroduction of strong, traditional morals and
values, society as a whole will make a shift back into what
matters the most the concern for and action for the betterment of
future generations.
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT17
CONCLUSION
The problem of premarital sexual intercourse among
adolescents and baby abandonment can be solved through a combined
effort and effective support from many people. Parents, peers,
school, government, media as well as society as a whole must give
a hand in order to keep track as one to tackle this problem. Mass
media, bad parenting style and lack of knowledge in the
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT18
consequences of premarital sex cause them to get involve with or
without their consciousness. These leading factors had affecting
the number of abandoned babies. In order to shape the future, the
solution begins at home. Parents must be their best person to
spoke to whenever they need help; government should play their
role in monitoring sex education provided as well as filtering
the media to avoid on screen too much about sexual behavior
scenes in films or dirty lyrics. If the cooperation among all can
be achieved, we will surely see a decrease in cases of premarital
sexual intercourse among adolescents and baby abandonment.
Perhaps these will generate a better generation afterwards.
PREMARITAL SEX AND BABY ABANDONMENT19
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