Ukukhulelwa Kwentsha Esencane—Inhlekelele Yembulunga Yonke

UKUKHULELWA kwentsha kuye kwabizwa ngokuthi umqedazwe. Nokho, ukuthi le nkinga ishaqisa kangakanani kubonakala kahle lapho ucabanga ngomphumela ukukhulelwa okuba nawo entombazaneni esanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili ubudala ephelile uvalo. Nakanjani, iyobhekana nezinguquko ezinkulu ekuphileni kwayo eziyoshiya isilonda esijulile hhayi nje kuyo kuphela kodwa nasemkhayeni wakubo nakulabo ebathandayo.

Abasanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili baseminyakeni iBhayibheli eliyibiza ngokuthi “ukuqhuma kobusha”—isikhathi lapho izifiso zobulili ngokuvamile zinamandla kakhulu khona. (1 Korinte 7:36) Kodwa, kungaba ukuyilulaza kakhulu inhlekelele yokukhulelwa kwentsha ukuphetha ngokuthi ibangelwa nje ukungayivimbeli inzalo. Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi kunezinkinga eziyinkimbinkimbi zezenhlalo nezingokomzwelo ezihilelekile ekukhulelweni kwentsha.

Izici Ezinomthelela

Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi omama abaningi abasebancane bavela emikhayeni ebhidlikile. Sizwakala kaningi isikhalo sentsha ekhulelwe ethi, “Kukho konke ukuphila kwami bengilokhu ngilangazelela ukuba nomkhaya wangempela.” Khona-ke kusobala ukuthi ukuwohloka kwemikhaya kungaba yimbangela yokukhulelwa kwentsha. Uhlelo oluthile olusiza intsha engomama engafinyeleleki luye lwathola ukuthi ngokuvamile “inobuhlobo obungebuhle nonina kanti-ke ayinabo nhlobo noyise.” U-Anita, owaba umama eneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, ukhumbula ukuthi yize unina owayengashadile ayesebenza kanzima ukuze abondle, u-Anita wayesasizwa isikhala esasidalwa ukungabi nababa.

Amanye amantombazane aba omama abangashadile ngenxa yokudlwengulwa. Kwabanye, lokhu kuhlukunyezwa kubonakala kushiya ubuhlungu obungokomzwelo obungase buvele kamuva ngokuzinikela ebubini. Ngokwesibonelo, uJasmine wadlwengulwa eneminyaka engu-15. “Ngemva kwalokho” ekhumbula, “ngazinikela ebubini. Ngakhulelwa lapho ngineminyaka engu-19.” Ukunukubezwa ngokobulili kungase kuvuse nemizwa yokuzizwa ungelutho. UJasmine uyabalisa: “Ngazizwa ngingelutho ngempela.” U-Anita wabhekana nesimo esifanayo: “Ngesikhathi ngineminyaka yobudala ephakathi kwengu-7 kuya kwengu-11, nganginukubezwa umfana othile oneminyaka eyeve eshumini nambili. Ngazizonda. Ngazibeka icala.” Wakhulelwa eneminyaka engu-17 ubudala.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, enye intsha iyizisulu zokuzethemba nelukuluku. UNicole, ocashunwe esihlokweni esandulelayo, uyavuma: “Ngangicabanga ukuthi ngiwungqeqe, ukuthi akukho lutho olungangehlula. Ngeshwa-ke, angehlulekanga nokuthola ingane.” UCarol, naye owaba umama ongashadile esemncane, wahlanganyela ubulili ngenxa nje yelukuluku. Uthi, “Nganginomuzwa wokuthi ngangiphuthelwa okuthile.”

Ukungayazi imiphumela yokuhlanganyela ubulili nakho kunendima okuyifezayo. EBrithani, ngokwezazi zezenhlalo uKaren Rowlingson noStephen McKay, enye intsha “intula ulwazi olunembile ngalokho . . . okufanele ikulindele lapho ithandana nothile nokuthi kusho ukuthini ukukhulelwa.” Enye intsha kubonakala sengathi ayiqondi ukuthi ubulili buhlangene ngani nokukhulelwa. Kwenye inhlolo-vo, intsha engomama “ngokuvamile ibika ukuthi yashaqeka noma yamangala lapho izithola ikhulelwe yize yayingasebenzisi lutho lokuvimbela inzalo.”

Noma kunjalo, ukushintsha kwesimo sengqondo ngobulili yikona okuye kwaba negalelo elikhulu kunawo wonke ekukhulelweni kwentsha. Siphila ezikhathini lapho abantu ‘bengabathandi benjabulo kunokuba abathandi bakaNkulunkulu.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1-4) Abacwaningi base-Australia u-Ailsa Burns noCath Scott bathi “inkolo, umphakathi nezimiso zezomnotho ziye zanciphisa izijeziso zokuhlanganyela ubulili ngaphandle komshado.” Ukuba nengane ewumlanjwana kungase kungabi nesigcwagcwa okwakunaso ngaphambili. Phela, kwezinye izindawo abeve eshumini nambili bangase ngisho bazibheke njengabafeze lukhulu ngokuba nengane!

Imiphumela Engokomzwelo

Ukukhulisa ingane usemncane kuhluke kakhulu emaphusheni obuntwana obunawo. Ngokuvamile lapho amantombazane ethola ukuthi akhulelwe, abhekana nemizwelo eminingi ebuhlungu. Amaningi ayavuma ukuthi ashaqeka noma akhungatheka. I-American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ithi: “Ukusabela okuvamile kuhlanganisa intukuthelo, umuzwa wecala, nokungakwamukeli okwenzekile.” Nokho, ukungakwamukeli okwenzekile kungaba ingozi, ngoba kungase kuvimbele intombazane ukuba ingalutholi usizo lwezokwelapha eludingayo.

U-Elvenia ukhumbula umzuzu atshelwa ngawo ngemiphumela “yokuzijabulisa” kwakhe ngobulili, uthi: “Ngethuka kwaphela nasozwanini.” Amantombazane amaningi awazi ukuthi angalunwaya nobani lolu twayi noma agajwa amahloni angakwazi ukukhuluma ngalo. Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi amanye agajwa umuzwa wecala nokwesaba. Intsha eningi ekhulelwe iba nanenkinga yokucindezeleka okukhulu. UJasmine uthi, “Ngangingenandaba nokuphila, ngingenandaba noma ngingafa.”a

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi intombazane ingase isabele kanjani ekuqaleni, kunezinqumo eziningana ezinemiphumela yesikhathi eside ezithinta yona nengane yayo okumelwe ukuba izenze ekugcineni. Ukuthi amantombazane asemancane angazenza kanjani lezo zinqumo ngokuhlakanipha sizoxoxa ngakho esihlokweni sethu esilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 7]

Ukukhulelwa Kwentsha Esencane—Amaqiniso Abuhlungu

Yize izibalo ezilandelayo zichaza isimo kwelase-United States, kodwa zibonisa amaqiniso athile intsha ekhulelwe ebhekana nawo emhlabeni wonke.

● Amantombazane amane kwayishumi akhulelwa engakayihlanganisi iminyaka engu-20 ubudala—angaphezu kuka-900 000 ngonyaka.

● Intsha engomama engamaphesenti angu-40 ingaphansi kweminyaka engu-18 ubudala.

● Amazinga okuhlukunyezwa nokunganakwa aphakeme kakhulu ezinganeni ezinabazali abasebancane kunasezinganeni ezizalwa abazali asebekhule ngokwanele.

● Omama abane kuphela kwabayishumi abaneminyaka engaphansi kuka-18 abaqedayo esikoleni esiphakeme.

● Cishe obaba abangamaphesenti angu-80 abawashadi amantombazane angonina bezingane zabo.

● Amaphesenti angu-30 kuphela entsha engomama eshada ngemva kokuzalwa kwezingane zawo ahlalayo kuleyo mishado; imishado yabasebancane isengcupheni ephindwe kabili yokubhidlika kunalapho owesifazane okungenani eseneminyaka engu-25.

● Izingane zomama abasebancane zivame ukuzalwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi futhi zinesisindo esiphansi, okwandisa amathuba okufa kwezinsana, ubumpumputhe, ukuba izithulu, izifo zamaphaphu, ukukhubazeka engqondweni, izifo zengqondo, i-cerebral palsy, ukuphazamiseka kwekhono lokufunda, nokuyobayoba.

[Umthombo]

Zithathwe kwethi Not Just Another Single Issue: Teen Pregnancy Prevention’s Link to Other Critical Social Issues, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, ka-February 2002.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 7]

Ukukhulelwa Kwentsha Esencane Emhlabeni Wonke

EBRAZIL: Kubikwa ukuthi “angu-698 439 amantombazane angaphansi kweminyaka engu-19 abeletha ngo-1998 eMitholampilo Yombuso YaseBrazil . . . angu-31 857 kuwo ayeyizingane ezineminyaka ephakathi kweyishumi nengu-14, cishe uzovuma ukuthi izingane ezingakakufanelekeli neze ukuthi zingaba nezingane.”—Folha de S. Paulo, ka-August 25, 1999.

EBRITHANI: “ElaseBrithani linenani eliphakeme kakhulu lamantombazane azala esemancane eNtshonalanga Yurophu . . . Kwakhulelwa amantombazane angaba ngu-90 000 eNgilandi ngo-1997. Angaba yizingxenye ezintathu kwezinhlanu (angu-56 000) abeletha, futhi amaphesenti angu-90 (cishe angu-50 000) kulawo abeletha ngo-1997 ayengashadile.”—Lone Parent Families, ka-2002.

EMALAYSIA: “Izingane eziyimilanjwana kuleli zwe zandile kusukela ngo-1998, iningi lonina alikayihlanganisi iminyaka engu-20.”—New Straits Times–​Management Times, ka-April 1, 2002.

ERUSSIA: “Izibalo zikahulumeni zibonisa ukuthi cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yazo zonke izingane ezazalwa eRussia ngonyaka odlule zazalwa omama abangashadile, okungamaphesenti aphindwe kabili kunaseminyakeni eyishumi edlule futhi kuyisilinganiso esingakaze sibonwe kusukela ngeMpi Yezwe II. Amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-40 alezi zingane azalwa amantombazane evé eshumini nambili.”—The Moscow Times, ka-November 29, 2001.

E-UNITED STATES: “Naphezu kokuncipha kwezibalo zokukhulelwa kwentsha muva nje, amantombazane amane kwayishumi asakhulelwa okungenani kanye ngaphambi kokuba ahlanganise iminyaka engu-20 ubudala.”—Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States, ka-1997.

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Lapho abazali behlukana, kwandisa amathuba okukhulelwa entsheni

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Enye intsha ibonakala ingaqondi ukuthi ubulili buhlangene ngani nokukhulelwa

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Ukukhulelwa kuyithinta kakhulu intombazane kanye nalabo ebathandayo