EDIT: Shame as deterrent to teen pregnancies

The world runs on stigma, which is why highlighting shame is often an effective marketing approach when trying to get a people to not do something.

A recent advertisement campaign in New York is focused on reducing teen pregnancy. The tactic, according to The New York Times, is shame — and lots of it, too, as some pictures show teary-eyed children next to the words, “I’m twice as likely not to graduate high school because you had me as a teen,” among other negative statistics.

Granted, the statistics are true. Children born into lower-income teenaged parent families are often underserved as a result of a number of factors, and will suffer throughout life as a result, though this is not to say that a child will not overcome certain factors. The goal of the New York ad initiative is to educate its citizens with the negative statistics, hopefully helping them make smart decisions that are good for themselves and good for the city. This is a good end, but it has yet to be determined whether the means are effective.

Using shame as a marketing tactic regarding such a morally ambiguous (though statistically not preferable) issue seems like it could do as much damage as it could good. For one, the Times remarked how the ad imagers are drawing mounting criticism from reproductive health advocates, women who had children as teenagers, and others who say they reinforce negative stereotypes about teenage mothers without offering any information to help girls prevent unplanned pregnancies.

Richard Reeves of the Times noted on Friday how shame is not love — that is, shaming pregnant teens does not give them the support they need. That New York, or any city for that matter, does so is of vital importance to the well-being of a community, as vital as a reduction in teenage pregnancies.

These advertisements shame teenagers who are pregnant or have children as much as they discourage others from getting pregnant, when what these individuals need is a city that will support them. This is not entirely the same thing as an anti-smoking campaign, given how quitting being pregnant is harder than quitting a cigarette habit. Moreover, teenage pregnancies are not infrequently accidental. And there is already much social stigma surrounding the topic of teen pregnancy and single motherhood. Although on that note, one might imagine shaming people would be more effective than safe sex campaigns. Reinforcing the stigma of teen pregnancy might be the strongest — albeit bluntest — way to address the problem.