63 percent of in-county births are illegitimate
• Statistic from 2006 does not include births to county residents in other counties, but will only drop to about 50 percent when these numbers are available.
By BOB HIGH
Staff Writer
First in a series
Sixty-three percent of the non-Hispanic children born in Columbus County in 2006 were illegitimate.
This shocking statistic was revealed in a study of birth certificates. The in-county births last year – excluding Hispanics -- totaled 440, and 277 of the mothers were unmarried.
Hispanic births were dropped from the statistics because of the difficulty of determining if the parents are married by examining the names of the mother and father on birth certificates.
The 2006 percent-rate will drop to about the 50-percent level when all births to Columbus County women – including those in adjacent counties – are complied by the state. These numbers are not yet available.
All births to Columbus County residents in 2005 show that 47 percent of births were to unmarried mothers, based on state numbers.
In addition, there were 114 abortions to Columbus County females in 2005.
County officials, and three ministers contacted by The News Reporter and superintendents of the two school systems, are struggling to handle the news.
The schools across the county are trying to address the rising dropout rate and increased discipline problems, much of it from children of single-parent families, or families where the parents are living together but are not married.
‘Startling news’
“This is startling news,” said Dr. Danny McPherson, superintendent of the Whiteville City Schools. “There are implications all across the county by this development. I didn’t realize the number was anywhere near this level.”
“I didn’t know the number was that large. I’d heard teachers tell me that the majority of the children in their classrooms were from single-parent families, but I didn’t realize the number was that high,” said Dr. Dan Strickland, superintendent of Columbus County Schools.
“The statistic is shocking. There’s obviously not an immediate answer, but the church has to be part of the solution, and this is a call for the church to pay more attention to the problem,” said the Rev. Josh Bower of Whiteville’s First Presbyterian Church.
“I’m surprised and I’m not surprised,” said Dr. Ray Lundy, minister of the Fair Bluff Baptist Church. “These are eye-opening facts. The major problem is the breakdown of family in the home,” he added.
“The subject (illegitimacy) is nothing new, and it’s going up, but I didn’t know it was this high,” said the Rev. Algernon McKenzie, pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church in Whiteville.
Rap music rapped
McKenzie attacked the exposure to children of TV programming, particularly music videos that are so explicitly sexual.
“As a parent, I feel one of the things that promotes sexual activity among teens is the rap music with its heavily sexual content, and the many other very sexual programs that are available to our children on TV,” McKenzie said.
“We have to monitor this exposure and not let the young ones watch such programs. And, in the public schools we need an emphasis on abstinence and protective measures.
“This doesn’t mean I’m advocating sex outside marriage, but I also have to deal with reality,” McKenzie added.
2006 numbers
The surprising numbers, directly from the birth certificates and excluding the 70 Hispanic births last year, are:
440 births of which 277 were illegitimate – 63 percent.
White births – 241 with 101 born to single white mothers – 42 percent.
Black births – 185 with 169 born to single black mothers – 91 percent.
American Indian births – 13 with six born to single American Indian mothers – 46 percent.
Chinese births – One, born to an unwed Chinese mother.
Teenage mothers – 114.
Mothers age 16 and under – 12. One mother was 14 and 10 were 15 years of age.
Out-of-county births to Columbus County residents are to be added to these totals.
2005 numbers
Complete statistics for 2005 in Columbus County, compiled by the State Center for Health Statistics, are:
744 births of which 352 were illegitimate – 47 percent.
White births – 480 with 154 born to single white mothers – 32 percent.
Minority births – 264 with 198 born to unwed mothers – 75 percent. (The state numbers do not separate minority races or ethnic groups)
Births to mothers ages 10 to 14 – 2 (one white, one minority).
Births to mothers ages 15 to 19 – 123 (59 white, 64 minority). Five were to mothers age 15, 10 at age 16, 27 at age 17.
Abortions – 114, with 54 to whites, 55 to minorities and five unknown race.
Abortions to those not married – 82.
Age of those receiving abortions – one girl age 12, two girls age 15, two girls age 16, four girls age 17.
New program
McPherson said, “After we get past the shock of the news about the number of illegitimate children, we must realize that education is the key part of the solution to trim these numbers.
“Church attendance and parental guidance have to be part of what is done to reduce this problem,” he added.
McPherson said the Whiteville City Schools introduced a program this year at Whiteville High School that requires all ninth graders to be exposed to a variety of teenage issues, including teenage pregnancy.
McKenzie echoed the part about the church being involved. “Parents should teach abstinence and how children use their bodies. This comes from Biblical scripture.
“The Bible teaches us how to use our bodies as male and female, and gives us the right to participate in sexual activity within the inclusion of marriage.
Teach from Bible
“And that’s the key to what parents and church must teach. We in the church must teach our congregations and we can’t be afraid to teach straight from the Bible,” McKenzie said.
Kim Smith, director of the county’s Health Department, said she was surprised at the high number, but knew it was far beyond what most people thought. Her department’s Family Planning and Teen Clinics are crowded in the spring, summer and fall.
“We have the clinic the first and third Mondays of each month, and we see an average of five to six each time.” Smith said the mothers coming to the Health Department are not asked if they’re married, because it makes no difference.
“Assistance is based on need, not martial status, and is available for the asking,” Smith pointed out.
Mary Thompson, interim director for the Department of Social Services, said she could not say the rise in illegitimacy here is one of the reasons for the skyrocketing cost of Medicaid.
No discrimination
“Any time an applicant meets our requirements for whatever reason, we provide our services. We offer services to all eligible people, and we can’t discriminate,” Thompson said.
Strickland said he felt the number of single-parent families is part of the problem of dropouts in the school system. “We need to target these children before they begin school, and teach parenting skills and all the other things that go with this problem,” the county superintendent added.
Mae Neal, director of Life Choices, a county schools program aimed at preventing teen pregnancies, said all adults – not just those with children – in this county have to become more involved in prevention programs. (See separate story.)
The problem with Hispanic birth certificates is that the mother’s last name is normally her mother’s maiden name. The area on the certificate that is reserved for the woman’s “surname” – her married name – matched the father’s name on less than 10 percent of the 70 birth certificates.
And, in some cases, the mother signed the certificate and didn’t use any of the names of the man shown as the father of the child.
Lundy said his lack of total surprise was based on the “high level of promiscuity in our society. We can’t continue to do business as usual, because doing business as usual is putting us out of business.
“The divorce rate is 50 percent-plus, and the breakdown of the home is the failure of the moral fiber of our society. It doesn’t matter which race you’re talking about. It’s across all races and ethnic groups.
Peer pressure
“Sex education has got to come in the schools because the parents aren’t doing it. Peer pressure on teenagers is tremendous and education is our only hope,” Lundy added with a matter-of-fact voice.
“The church has failed teenagers in all denominations, because the young unmarried teens having children are coming from all denominations, and many don’t have a church or denomination.
“Some of us in the church are talking, but obviously not enough of us are doing it. The ones who are talking are preaching to teens who aren’t listening, and then there’s the very large group that can’t be reached in the church, because they’re not attending,” the Fair Bluff pastor added.
COMING THURSDAY – A look at the illegitimate birth rate in Columbus County from 1916 to 2006 – a rise from 6 percent to more than 50 percent.