RICHARD ISHMAEL SECONDARY

GRADE 10
SOCIAL STUDIES
CHRISTMAS TERM 2021
INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, SOCIETY
WEEK : SOCIAL ISSUES

Social issues are questions which are discussed within a society. They are not negative, but may
simply be occurrences which are contrary to the traditional or expected ways of life in a society.

Social problem is a term used to describe many undesirable conditions and behaviours in
society. These behaviours lead to social disorganisation and therefore create a need for change
by deliberate social action on the part of the government or other groups in the society.

They cause disfunction, create difficulties, or stop members of the society from enjoying full
happiness and harmony with each other.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Teenage Pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in a girl’s teen years. Usually, the pregnancy is
unplanned and the girl has not completed her secondary education, nor is she financially
independent. There may be no stable relationship with the father; he, too, may not be emotionally
or financially ready to take on his responsibilities.

If the girl is below the age of consent (16 in Guyana), the father of the child can be charged with
statutory rape.

CAUSES

 Teenage pregnancy may sometimes occur because of teenagers’ ignorance about their
reproductive systems and contraceptives.
 Curiosity,
 Sexual abuse
 Poor decision-making which may be due to drug use and abuse.
 Peer pressure

CONSEQUENCES

 Teenagers invariably lack the social and psychological maturity to raise children
effectively.
 Education and training are curtailed, leading to the cycle of poverty.
 Teenagers do not always possess the financial resources required to maintain children.
 The character of unwed parents is tarnished.

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 1

  Pressure is put on society to care for offspring through welfare programmes.

ACTIVITY #1

Carefully read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
Teenage Pregnancy
By R. Ramsawak

Why all this fantasy

About sexual activity
It is alarmingly present
Among our adolescents
Today’s teenagers are adamant
They heed not religious commandment
Defiling their divine bodies, they bring forth new souls into the world

Careers are jeopardized

The infants cannot be socialized
Young parents are treated with distain
Their children they cannot maintain
Offsprings are sometimes left abandoned
Others are given up for adoption
Often the pregnancy is terminated by abortion
All of these the consequences of senseless reproduction
Who in society will take responsibility
The lives of young ones are in jeopardy.

Questions:

(1) According to the poet what is one reason for teenage pregnancy? 1 mark
(2) Outline 4 consequences of teenage pregnancy the poet mentioned. 4 marks
(3) In your own opinion, do you think that allowing a teenager to return to school after
giving birth encourages teen pregnancy? Justify your answer. 6 marks
(4) Imagine you are a policy maker, suggest 2 ways in which you would assist in reducing
the rate of teenage pregnancy in your country. 4 marks

STREET CHILDREN

They have no homes; they have no family; they occupy abandoned buildings and sleep on the
streets; their beds are made of cardboard boxes and old newspaper; they live by begging,
stealing, prostitution and selling drugs.

CAUSES

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 2

  Abandonment of children by parent after divorce or separation
 Physical, emotional and sexual abuse
 Poverty
 Searching for independence – a reaction to overly authoritative parent
 They were kicked out of their home

ACTIVITIES OF STREET CHILDREN

 Begging
 Stealing
 Prostitution
 Selling illegal drugs
 Abusing illegal drugs

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

 Introduction of an intensive family planning programme

 Governments must address poverty and unemployment as matters of priority
 Foster homes should be provided for abandoned children

ABUSE

Abuse is the improper, illegal, or harmful use of a substance. The physical, sexual, or
psychological maltreatment of a person.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Substance abuse is the use of substances, whether legal or illegal, to the detriment of the self or
others around you.

There are many substances that humans abuse, with the aim of creating certain desired effects
within the brain and body. Many of these substances are both illegal and legal, they include:

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 3

Whether legal or illegal, substance abuse is particularly destructive because it destroys the body
and in many cases the ability to reason and think clearly. Teenager who uses drugs may stunt
their mental development and will definitely disrupt their education.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence is any abuse, violent, coercive, forceful, or threatening act or word inflicted
by one member of a family or household on another. It may be directed at male or female
members of the family. Children who witness domestic violence are themselves victims of abuse
even if it is not directed at them.

Forms of domestic violence include:

 Physical: cuffing, kicking, showing, choking, chopping, pushing, assault with weapons,
murder.
 Economic: preventing or forcing victim from earning an income, managing or
controlling victim’s wages, withholding money for basic necessities, preventing victim
from accessing education, destruction of victim’s possessions.

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 4

  Emotional: threats to main or murder, humiliation in front of others, name calling,
isolation from relatives.
 Sexual: forced sexual intercourse, coercion into unsafe sexual activities, imposition of
degrading sexual activity.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

 Drug use and abuse

 Financial stress
 Poor coping skills
 Mental illness
 Poor communication skills
 Learnt behaviours (some abusers were abused themselves)

Violence is never the solution to life’s challenges and should be stopped. Some victims of
domestic violence are too afraid or ashamed to report it.

In other cases when they do try to press criminal charges against the person inflicting the abuse,
they may withdraw them through fear or even as a result of pressure or bribes from the offender.

CHILD ABUSE

The maltreatment or injury of a child by an adult or adults. Such abuse can be physical,
emotional, sexual, or a combination of all three. This can take the following form:

 Physical: this is excessive beating causing physical harm and, at its extreme, even
leading to death.
 Verbal: this is the use of words that wound the child’s spirit or are in some way
destructive to their happiness or development.
 Sexual: the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16 years. Children below this age
cannot give permission to anyone to have sex with them. Any adult who has sex with
someone below this age can be charged with statutory rape. Child abuse may also take
the form of incest, where children are forced to have sex with a family member.
 Neglect: if a child is not provided with the basic need of food, clothing or shelter, or is
left unsupervised, this is deemed child abuse.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

 poor parenting skills: some parents abuse children because they are stressed and do not
know how to handle a difficult situation.
 Some parents believe that corporal punishment is acceptable and use it excessively.
 Others are simply selfish, focusing on their own needs and neglecting those of their
children.

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 5

The person who sexually abuses a child is termed a “paedophile” (someone who is sexually
attracted to children). There is research that this condition cannot be reformed and, in some
countries, internationally paedophiles are made to register and are kept track of to make sure that
they do not reoffend.

ACTIVITY #2

Read the case study below and answer the following questions:

1. List the social issues/ problem William had experienced by the time he was 19.
2. Who tried to help William to deal with his many problems?
3. What could he have done differently to avoid being imprisoned?

Grade 10 Social Studies/Christmas Term 2021/ Week 9 6