It is distressing that 90 girls at this high school have or are becoming mothers at such a young age. While the students like to think that they have the freedom and the ability to make their own choices in life, the clip shows that there is more at play in the Memphis high school then that mere self-determination. The statistics lead me to think that many of the students are not making their own choices, but rather that they are primarily a product of various environmental factors. Perhaps the depressed economical situation in the area has led the students to believe that pregnancy will “solve” their problems, perhaps the lack of suitable role models has degraded the students’ ability or drive to see beyond their immediate life and personal struggles, or perhaps all of the previous hypotheses are irrelevant and the pregnancies are merely a lack of thorough sex education.
While the federal government, the surrounding communities, and the Frayser city leaders believe that pumping more money into advertisement campaigns, after school “pregnancy prevention” initiatives and non-profit “innovation” funds will solves the Frayser Community’s problems, they will most likely find that solutions are inadequate. Solutions that primarily target the students, while fundamental, lack major components namely parental responsibility and the influence of cultural standards. An “epidemic” like this is less the lack of formal education, preventative programs, or economic depression of one community but rather the neglect of many parents to instill the importance of personal responsibility on their children. When something becomes an excepted norm for a community, like teen pregnancy in the current situation, it takes away the will for students and parents in the community to resist the pull, but rather give in. Finally, Frayser may also embody a way of thinking in our society that sex is a means of entertainment and a right of passage to adulthood, rather than an expression of love.

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