ISSUES IN EXPANDING FAMILIES: TEENAGE PARENTHOOD Individuals and Families: Diverse Perspectives Chapter 11 - Unit 4

Teenage Parenthood Becoming a teen parent impacts an individual immediately They are launched into the adult world, with adult expectations and adult responsibilities Unsurprisingly, teenaged parents and their children are seen to have more negative outcomes than adult families and lone-parent families (Dryburgh, 2001) Becoming pregnant as a teenager forces undue strain on an already stressed growth period. Teenagers are just finishing and at times only beginning their transition from childhood into adolescence and getting pregnant at this time puts added risk to their own growth as well as that of the infant inside them.

Teenaged Parenthood What are your assumptions about teenaged pregnancy?

Fewer Teenaged Parents Teen pregnancies are declining Research suggests that teens are beginning to engage in sexual activities at a later age There is an increase in the use of condoms (Rotermann, 2008) The rate of abortions has increased for teens aged 15 to 17 (Dryburgh, 2001) Immigrant teens have a lower likelihood of being teen mothers than native Canadian teens who are not visible minorities (Luong, 2008) Date Number of Births by Teen Mothers 1997 19 724 2007 16 180 (Ambert, 2006)

What would life resemble? What are some characteristics that clearly describe a teenaged parent?

Who are teenaged parents? In the early 1970s, 75% of teen mothers were married Currently, almost 80% of teen mothers are unmarried Most, single teen mothers live at home with their parents Often teen mothers were born to teen parents— which means that the cycle continues (Ambert, 2006)

Outcomes of Teenage Pregnancy How can the changes in the chart be explained? How might the chart look today?

Teen Parents More likely to experience more family transitions Have a higher probability of multiple cohabitations More likely to move in and out of relationships Have a difficult time finding employment Have income fluctuations and are more likely to be poor Have lower education Tend to be socially isolated (Ambert, 2006)

What about teen fathers? Research on the father’s role in parenting has been limited Research on teen fathers is even more limited because far fewer teen fathers maintain a relationship with their children Teen fathers: Less educated than older fathers Associate more with deviant peers Tend to be unemployed or work in lower-paying jobs Due to the social status of being a teen father, they may be more involved when children are younger, but this lessens as the children become older (Ambert, 2006)

Consequences of Teen Pregnancy Teen pregnancy affects many individuals and has an impact on many societal structures The consequences impact: The parents The child The parents of the teenaged parent

Effects on Parents Socially, have less in common with parents that are older Poor physical health due to living conditions and habits Higher rates of depression Diminished parenting ability More stress More likely to have the child removed from home More likely to experience abuse or sexual assault Greater chance of addiction The health and social issues that teen parents experience (Ambert, 2006)

Style of Parenting use by Teens Teen parents tend to use authoritarian or permissive parenting styles and research indicates that children are better adjusted when parents use an authoritative style of parenting.

Effects on the Child The children of teenaged parents face many challenges: They are more likely to be aggressive, hostile and hyperactive Tend to perform more poorly in school They are more likely to become young offenders if they are not properly supervised Older children of teenaged parents may continue the cycle of poverty due to lack of education and limited employment opportunities (Ambert, 2006)

Effects on the Parents of the Teen Parent Between 30% and 50% of teen mothers live with their parents after the birth of their child This causes age condensing which means that several life-course stages are overlapping Often new grandparents may be approaching middle age and are dealing with their own stresses Conflicts may arise over childcare responsibilities, education, finances, and parenting styles Some poor families may not have the resources to support the teen parent Some parents do not offer their teen any support (Ambert, 2006)

Teens and Society How does society react to teenaged parenthood?

The Reaction of a Society Due to the negative consequences of teen pregnancy, society implements a number of preventative policies to reduce the number of children born to teenagers Governments also implement social policies to support teen parents Social supports should address the factors that can improve the long-term outcome of children of teenaged parents

Where can teens find help? What social agencies are available in your community to help teen parents and their children?