Prevalence, responses, and strategic interventions of pregnancy in childhood and adolescence in South Africa

While the education system’s response to pregnancy in childhood and adolescence has been to ensure that pregnant teenagers attend school before and after childbirth, the criminal justice system has set grounds for civil and criminal proceedings for fathers who impregnate girls under the age of sixteen. However, both the education and criminal justice systems remain silent about the prevalence, responses, and strategic interventions towards alleviating pregnancy in children and adolescents. This study aimed to review the prevalence, surrounding discourses, and ways of responding to pregnancy in children and adolescents in South Africa. Data mining from local and international literature and governmental organizations were consulted to determine the estimation of pregnancy in childhood and adolescence. Foucault’s pedagogization of children’s sexuality underpinned the study. Pregnancy in childhood (as early as reported at age 9) remains a silent phenomenon due to the false notion that children are incapable of childbearing, a myth that further exacerbates their risk of early pregnancy. Intergovernmental strategies regarding how education and criminal justice systems can appropriately address and manage the rising occurrence of pregnancy in childhood and adolescence are discussed. Recommendations for policy implementation are outlined in response to the growing rates of pregnancy in childhood and adolescence.