Adolescent Parenthood
Policy Related To Adolescent Parenting
There are several policy concerns around the economic, social, and psychological burdens of adolescent parenting for individuals and the broader society. Many adolescent parenting programs attempt to address these concerns by providing services to adolescents with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of second births, increasing self-sufficiency through vocational training, and enhancing parenting skills through parent education. Additional policy concerns focus on the provision of child support. Shirley L. Zimmerman (1992) argued that adolescent parenting must be examined in the larger context in which it occurs, because regions where there are higher poverty rates, higher unemployment rates, higher divorce rates, and low rates of school completion report higher rates of births to teens. She suggested that policy must address the forces that "give rise to high birthrates among the young, cultural norms, family instability, academic failure, and individual motivation within the context of persistent inequality and growing social isolation of the poor" (p. 428). Although the occurrence of adolescent parenthood will not completely disappear, multifaceted strategies are warranted to facilitate the transition out of poverty or at least minimize the hardships imposed by social disadvantage on adolescent parents.
See also: ADOPTION; BIRTH CONTROL: SOCIOCULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ASPECTS; CHILDHOOD, STAGES OF: ADOLESCENCE; FATHERHOOD; GRANDPARENTHOOD; MOTHERHOOD; NONMARITAL CHILDBEARING; PARENTING EDUCATION; PREGNANCY AND BIRTH; POVERTY; SEXUALITY EDUCATION; SEXUALITY IN ADOLESCENCE; SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES
Bibliography
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Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1996). Risks and Realities of Early Childbearing Worldwide. New York: Author.
Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Teenage Pregnancy: Overall Trends and State-by-State Information. New York: Author.
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Bachrach, C. A.; Stolley, K. S.; and London, K. A. (1992). "Relinquishement of Premarital Births: Evidence from National Survey Data." Family Planning Perspectives 24(1):27–33.
Brooks-Gunn, J., and Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (1995). "Adolescent Parenthood." In Handbook of Parenting, Vol. 3: Status and Social Conditions of Parenting, ed. M. H. Bornstein. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
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Darroch, J. E.; Landry, D. J.; and Oslak, S. (1999). "Age Differences Between Sexual Partners in the United States." Family Planning Perspectives 31(4):160–167.
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Maynard, R. A. (1997). Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press.
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Roy, E.; Schapira, I. T.; Cortigiani, M. R.; Oiberman, A.; Parisi, N.; and Szapu, B. (1999). "Atencion pediatrica primaria para hijos de madres adolescents: Seguimento durante los primeros 24 meses de vida." Interdisciplinaria 16(2):99–121.
Singh, S., and Darroch, J. E. (2000). "Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing: Levels and Trends in Developed Countries." Family Planning Perspectives 32(1):14–23.
Thornberry, T. P.; Smith, C. A.; and Howard, G. J. (1997). "Risk Factors for Teenage Fatherhood." Journal of Marriage and the Family 59(3):505–522.
Thornberry, T. P.; Wei, E. H.; Stouthamer-Loeber, M.; and Dyke, J. V. (2000). Teenage Fatherhood and Delinquent Behavior. U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Ventura, S. J.; Curtin, S. C.; and Mathews, T. J. (2000). "Variations in Teenage Birth Rates, 1991–1998: National and State Trends." National Vital Statistics Reports 48(6). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Zimmerman, S. L. (1992). "Family Trends: What Implications for Family Policy?" Family Relations 41:423–429.
Other Resources
The Alan Guttmacher Institute. Available from http://www.agi-usa.org.
Bridges for Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Sexuality Web Site. Available from http://www.nnh.org.
National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention. Available from http://www.noappp.org.
TED G. FUTRIS
KAY PASLEY
Additional topics
Marriage and Family EncyclopediaPregnancy & ParenthoodAdolescent Parenthood - Trends In The United States, International Trends, Antecedents Of Adolescent Pregnancy, Adoption, Marriage, And Single Parenthood