Should the fathers be forced to pay child support?

Question

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Group of teenage girls as young as 14 who formed a 'pregnancy-pact' INTENTIONALLY pursued these guys for the sole purpose of getting pregnant and becoming a mother. They even refused contraception when offered.

From the article: "Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers "is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Sullivan told the magazine. Others were boys in the school"

I would like to hear some thoughts on this. Should the fathers be forced to provide financial support? What about the girls? Aren't they being punished in some way as well for their actions? Or are they still seen as the victims?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25272678/

Answer 1

with out even reading any more of the question but its header, i say yes we should pay child support it is after all our child to. i pay mine and am happy to do so.

well now that i read the question lol ok for the boys well they old enough to whip it out and use it they old enough to pay for the child's life needs as they should. and for the 24 year old he should be in jail.

Answer 2

It should be: woman's body, woman's choice; man's wallet, men's choice. In other words, since ONLY womern have choice post-conception, then women should be the ones to be responsible for their personal decision. Modern family law is akin to a man having to pay a woman that rear-ended him in a car crash. Simply magic! POOF! Woman DECIDES to have a baby, some guy has to be responsible, and in many cases the state doesn't care WHICH guy, just so someone pays. It's magic alright. Magically oppressive.

Answer 3

Is s*x education taught at this school?  I mean the real type of s*x education where they teach you how to use a condom and why it's important.  I bring this up b/c the boys had a choice as well.  They could've insisted on using a condom.  Now if the girls were somehow tricking the guys into thinking they were on a pill or something of that nature, then I'd say no child support is a possible option.  But since the guys had s*x, they are half responsible for the child.  They should've gotten to know the girl they were having relations with better before doing the deed.  And contraception is definitely just as much their responsibility.  These girls are dumb as rocks. They'll make terrible parents.

Answer 4

This is a strange thing which I have been following. I Wonder if the men are going to be charged with having s*x with a minor ( law in state is 16)? Prosecution is deciding now.

Answer 5

Yes. If you're gonna pull your pants down and be so irresponsible, you get what you deserve!! God do I feel sorry for those kids though, having such lame a$$es for parents.

Answer 6

It's a sticky situation Certainly the girls should be charged with entrapment or some other sort of crime. This behavior disgusts me and, for the record, I am a feminist theorist. Let's be clear. This female behavior is the antithesis of feminism.

Unfortunately this situation now involves more than just the scheming girls and the horny guys. It involves new human beings who are innocent. These kids do deserve to be cared for and given a shot at life. It is in the community's best interest to see to it that these children have their basic needs met.

Men should have more control over their fertility though. Saying to a man, "you had s*x, now deal with a child" is the EXACT SAME argument used by antichoice activists to enslave women. It's a double standard that needs to be addressed.

First off, men should have more birth control options. Secondly, there should be a law against this sort of deceit and manipulation. Girls and women who entrap a man should have to pay back (perhaps with interest) the money provided by the father during the kids childhood once that kid reaches 18. It would make stupid girls think that maybe there is a better way to have power than to have kids. That would be a bonus for all of us.

You see? Feminists and men's movement folks share some common interests.  Actually, we're on the same side. It's the "traditional" women who think men should pay for everything and "do a lot for us" who are the enemy of feminists, men, and womankind alike.

Answer 7

I am glad that this incident happened. This is a resounding tight slap on the face of feminazis who try to project that women never want to manipulate a man to get pregnant. There are many precedents....lying about birth controls, putting holes in condoms, accusing people who have had vasectomies to be fathers (classic)....all shattering that myth about the purported allegation that men like to impregnate women and then dump them. The men of course were foolish enough not to use protection- but condoms are not 100 percent safe. Women have 11 different forms of BC- they choose not to use them giving one excuse or another. In a way, I congratulate the girls- they saw how heavily gender biased the laws were and tried to take advantage as a herd- their actions being a resounding proof of how unfair child support laws actually are.

So hopefully this incident would hopefully make people think about existing rules. But I am skeptical about any change in laws- at some level the govt likes child support as it allows them to milk money while it is being transferred from a generally richer source (men) to a generally relatively poorer source (women). Incidents like this which may stir public opinion to change child support laws are therefore likely to be  downplayed by the govt.

Answer 8

It's an unusual situation. But on the whole, no fathers shouldn't be automatically forced to pay, it should be on a case-to-case basis and only defaulters punished.

Understand that the system of child support came into effect to stem the tide of absentee fathers leaving their children to be partially raised at the state's expense.

Answer 9

This entire situation revolts me.   Someone asked about s*x ed-  they don't have it at that school.  Funding  for health programs was abolished.  

I am concerned about these babies.

Maybe they should have custody.

Answer 10

SICK SICK SICK.

I'm pro-choice. I believe a woman should not be forced to become a mother if she doesn't want to. But, I'm also against forcing a man to pay child support if he genuinely doesn't want to be a "parent". I think he should be able to pay for the abortion and leave her to do what she wants with the pregnancy. To me, no child should be brought in to this world if both parents do not want him/her.

Answer 11

I knew someone was going to jump on this story here in this forum as soon as the story was broadcasted.

For one, they're not victims. These girls made the choice to intentionally get pregnant and they didn't care who was the father. I hate to say it, but I (an advocate for men standing up to responsibility) do not believe that these fathers should have to pay child support. These girls honestly (and knowling) made the choice to bring life into this world so it's time for them to own up and take care of the kids.

I believe they should raise the kids on their own so they can experience first hand what young women who get caught in situations like that unwilling have to go through on a daily basis. And in these special cases, the fathers shouldn't have to be in the life of the children. I know some people will disagree with me for saying this. But that was really stupid of those young women, they made their bed so they should lay in it.

Answer 12

Well, I guess the guys should have taken more precautions, (condoms).  There are so many STD's out there anyways that the fact that people still don't use condoms amazes me.  You can only be responsible for yourself, if you don't want a kid, then take precautions.  These girls are messed up, but you can't really punish people for getting pregnant, (on purpose or not)  It's a tough situation.

Answer 13

If you can have s*x like a man, support your child like a man.

Answer 14

Um. I think the guys having or not having to pay child support is the last of this community's problems.

But in this case, no they shouldn't, IF the girls lied and said they were on birth control.

BUT If the guy simply offered a condom and she didnt want to use it ....so they didnt, then h**l yes he should pay. We all know where babies come from. Boys can't pull the dumb card all because a bunch of girls are off their rockers.

Answer 15

Disgusting and highly immature actions on the girl's part.

But why are men still not protecting themselves from this kind of thing happening?

When it comes to s*x and protecting yourself from STD's and pregnancy, then both parties are responsible.

Edit- Woahhhh, I just read in todays paper that the men concerned in this story/involved with the young girls, were mainly in their mid-20's.

Well to that I have to say that the men are at fault too.  They should know better than to muck around with under-age girls.

Answer 16

thats pretty sick if you ask me.

Answer 17

Are you implying that child support should only apply to "accidental" pregnancies.  The men involved still knew that s*x brings a risk of pregnancy.  Men should not rely on a partners word that the are on the pill, or that they don't have an STD.  That last part also goes for women.  They could have, and should have used a condom.

Answer 18

The adult fathers, yes. Would it be preferable to have Massachusetts taxpayers pay for children they had no part in creating?

Answer 19

Ofcourse they should have to pay child support. They decided to have s*x, so they should have to pay for the babies.

Answer 20

No

Men have no say whatsoever when it come to abortion, so it really is only fair that men should have the choice of whether or not to pay child support.

But unfortunately...

Our society often see women as the victims and men as the victimizers, as a result women are rarely being held accountable for their actions; especially in this kind of situation.

Answer 21

It takes two to make one.

So if the guy is indeed to be the proven father by DNA, than he has a responsibility to play his part in that child's life.

That includes financially supporting the child, I think single parents have it hard enough.

Answer 22

I don't think these men should be held responsible.  Yes they had s*x with these girls, but it's apparent that these girls were "father shoping" and I'm sure that the men and boys that are involved in this were none the wiser...

Now, the over age ones should be prosecuted becuase it's not right that they had s*x with a minor and they should have known that... unless there is proof that these girls distinctly lied about their ages, then that should be a repurcussion for those men.