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Position:Home>History> Was suicide, rape, abortion and divorce a commonality amongst youth centuries agQuestion: Was suicide, rape, abortion and divorce a commonality amongst youth centuries ago!? I'm after some historical statistics, which I'm guessing is almost impossible!.!.!. but you never know!. Do you have any idea in general, about the status of society during (for example) the middle ages!.!.!.!. 5th Century, or even 18th century!.!.!. or any time at all apart from the last 100 years!? More specifically, I'm interested in teens and their part in society!. Quotes and evidence would be good!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Evidence is difficult!. Suicide would not have been common due to religious rules!. In Catholic Europe a suicide would not have been entitled to a christian burial and this would have lost any chance of entering heaven - very important in the days when the afterlife was viewed as a fact!. Rape was probably a lot more common than now, but less known about as the status of women was so low!. Abortion would have happened in a few cases, but was very dangerous because of poor medical knowledge, untsterile conditions etc!. If it was attempted,!. it would more likely have been by use of things like herbs to induce a miscarriage rather tahn by mechanical means!. Divorce - has always been the great no-no!. Think Henry VIII and his problems! The it was not socially acceptable - Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in th eUK in the 1930s, and even as late as the 1950s, Princess Margaret and Group Catain Peter Townsend!. Divorcees were not accepted in polite society!. Which led to much hypocrisy!. Men and women would stay married for apperances sake, whilst taking lovers as a matter of course!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Prior to Christianisation,certain cultures (such as those in Celtic countries and to a lesser extent amongst Norsemen & the English) divorce was permissible and could even be initiated by the woman (who could also take back her own lands if she had any!.) Women's lot was probably better then than in the later middle ages!. Suicide was probably rare although the celtic Queen Boudicca was said to have committed suicide when the tide turned against her!. Abortion was known but it probably would have been done by herbal means-which could also have killed the woman by poisoning!. vigorous horseriding was often hoped to be effective by desperate women!.Children weren't generally regarded as 'proper' people anyway, and even in 'civilised' places such as Rome, it was not uncommon to 'put out' unwanted babies,and kids that died often didn't get much of a burial!. A teen of course would have been considered an adult in early periods, as lifespans were so short!. Marriage at 12 was certainly not uncommon!.Www@QuestionHome@Com i think that the previous answer is pretty thorough!. just remember that youth today is MUCH different from youth back then!. the "teenager" phase is a relatively modern idea, especially now that education is lengthier and the marriage age is a lot higher than it was!. you can't really make a direct comparison to today's youth!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Abortion used to be a death penalty charge in Great Britain for the mother!. So was infanticide!. Suicide was as well!. Meaning that if anyone attempted it and failed they could expect to be executed for trying!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |