Uncertain steps into parenthood
Parenthood is a tough decision to make, especially with issues like climate change, increasing crime rates and horrific knife attacks upon young children. The world appears to be in turmoil, making the thought of bringing new life into it a daunting prospect.
I never really considered becoming a parent. I’ve been with my current partner for nearly 10 years, and we always said we’d never be parents – too scary, too expensive, not worth the massive change it would bring into our lives. We’d have to put things on hold, limit our social lives, and try and get by during a cost-of-living crisis.
But when my wife fell pregnant in October 2023, we chose to embrace the journey despite the uncertainty. Globally, climate change, economic struggles, and geopolitical tensions loomed large making parenthood seem a scary prospect; is it really okay to bring children into a cruel world that is changing and becoming ever more uncertain?
The Southport atrocity
In the recent Southport case, Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to over 50 years in prison for the murder of three young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others. With dangerous people like that walking the streets, anyone would be anxious about becoming parents. The crime he committed was beyond heinous – it was downright evil.
When the information about the Southport attacks fully came to light, I felt a deep sense of unease. What sort of country do we live in where little girls are brutally attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class? The unimaginable became reality.
A public inquiry has been launched to determine how authorities missed multiple warning signs that the triple-killer posed to the public. Before the Southport attack, Rudakubana was known to the police and mental health services, as well as being referred to the government’s anti-extremism programme three times.
Sara Stanger, the solicitor representing the victims’ families, told BBC Breakfast: “The families are relieved that this part of the process is over, but they are shocked about a lot of the information that came out because it was new to them. The fact there were 15 missed opportunities is shocking.” If authorities repeatedly fail to protect the public, how can parents trust the system to safeguard their children?
The rising tide of crime
While the Southport case is shocking enough, crime rates in England and Wales have increased over the last year. While crime has generally declined over the last decade, The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that specific offences, such as theft, computer misuse, and sexual assault, are on the rise.
Many factors could contribute to this surge, such as cuts to public services and reductions in police funding. Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, said: “Too many town centres have been decimated by record levels of shoplifting, and communities have been left shaken by rising levels of knife crime, snatch theft and robbery.”
Knife crime epidemic
Knife crime remains one of the most pressing concerns in Britain today. Police-recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments increased by 4% in the last 12 months (up to September 2024), with a total of 55,008 offenses. This is an 80% increase over the last decade. Children and teenagers are twice as likely to be fatally stabbed than they were 10 years ago. Young people are at a much higher risk of murder by knife attacks than any other age group.
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust said: “The persistently high figures for fatal stabbings, and huge rise on figures from 10 years ago, is truly heart-breaking. Let us not forget that these figures represent real people and real lives unnecessarily lost, leaving families devastated and communities torn apart.”
For parents, this is the ultimate nightmare. What can be done to protect children from such senseless violence?
Climate change: a deterrent to parenthood
Concerns about climate change have made many people reconsider parenthood, and ‘climate anxiety’ is becoming ever more prevalent.
A 2021 study published in The Lancetsurveyed 10,000 people aged 16-25 worldwide. In Australia, Brazil, India and the Philippines, over 40% of people said climate change made them think twice about having children. In France, Portugal, the UK and the US, that number ranged between 30% and 40%. The study highlighted two main concerns ̶ the impact of climate change on their children’s futures, and the strain additional human lives place on the planet’s resources.
Extreme weather events around the world are becoming more common. Devastating hurricanes are occurring more frequently in the US and Pacific Island nations, and those in South and Southeast Asia are battling with stronger cyclones and typhoons. Even in the UK, the effects are evident, with more frequent heatwaves and storms. These events take lives and destroy entire communities.
If these trends continue, future generations will inherit a planet struggling to sustain life.
Hope amidst the chaos for parenthood
When I held my newborn daughter for the first time, I felt something that I’d never felt before: a feeling of elation that I cannot describe, and a deep sense of responsibility. She is the most important thing in my life.
Despite the problems the world is currently facing, it is not irresponsible to have children; it is an amazing blessing. Whether or not one chooses to become a parent, we all share the responsibility of ensuring a better and unbroken world for future generations.
