Running head: TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Psychosocial Development and the Effects of Teenage Pregnancy Liberty University

TEENAGE PREGNANCY Abstract An estimated 400,000 teen girls, ages 15-19 years, give birth each year in the US. In todays media sexual activity and teen parenting is often glamorize, but the truth of the matter is the

reality is harshly different. Having a child during the teens formative years carries the high price of emotional, physical, and financial, not only to the mother, but father, child, and community. Parents, educators, and community organizations all have a major role to play in reducing teen pregnancy.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY Psychosocial Development and the Effects of Teenage Pregnancy Table of Contents

Abstract. 1 Introduction. 2 Background.4 Is Teen Parenthood Being Glamorized.5 Possible Theories to Explain This Phenomenon...6 11 Facts about Teenage Pregnancy..10 Recommendations11 Conclusion16 References17

TEENAGE PREGNANCY Introduction In 2009, an amazing 409,840 infants were born to teen mothers between the ages of 1519 year olds that makes for a live birth rate of 39.1 per 1,000 women in this age group. Nearly two-thirds of births to women younger than age 18 and more than half of those among

1819 year olds are unintended. Within the US birth rate for teen mothers fell by more than onethird from 1991 through 2005, but then increased by 5 percent over two consecutive years. Data for 2008 and 2009, however, indicate that the long-term downward trend has resumed. The U.S. teen pregnancy and birth, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and abortion rates are substantially higher than those of other western industrialized nations. Teen pregnancy accounts for more than $9 billion per year in costs to U.S. taxpayers for increased health care and foster care, increased incarceration rates among children of teen parents, and lost tax revenue because of lower educational attainment and income among teen mothers. Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by age 22, versus nearly 90% of women who had not given birth during adolescence. The children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement and drop out of high school, have more health problems, be incarcerated at some time during adolescence, give birth as a teenager, and face unemployment as a young adult. These effects remain for the teen mother and her child even after adjusting for those factors that increased the teenagers risk for pregnancy; such as, growing up in poverty, having parents with low levels of education, growing up in a single-parent family, and having low attachment to and performance in school. The statistics previously stated are freighting. In the United States of America, teenage pregnancy is an epidemic, we have so many young people having babies and they have the slightest idea of how to be good parents. A lot of these girls aren't

TEENAGE PREGNANCY developmentally ready to be really effective parents, and that affects the child's development. (http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/AboutTeenPreg.htm). Background Teenage pregnancy has been a hot topic subject with great debate over the past two decades. Parents, politicians, the media, and researchers have voice many concerns about the consequences of teen parenthood for not only the mothers but the children as well. Because of the high intensity of the subject there have been many studies into the factors that could predispose teens toward teenage pregnancy and the outcomes for the children. According to Hudson & Iniechen, Much of this has served to emphasize the negative aspects of teenage pregnancy, with a variety of interrelated factors such as poverty, low educational attainment, unemployment, family background, emotional/psychological difficulties and a history of sexual

abuse being generally accepted as increasing a young womans chances of becoming pregnant in her teenage years. According to many studies, the negative consequences of teen parenthood could be shot-term and long-term medical risks to both mother and child, an increased rate of post-partum depression, lower educational and employment status, and poor parenting choices that could and would affect the child negatively. (Hudson &Iniechen). However, it has been argued that the tendency to approach teenage pregnancy as a social problem has led to an exaggeration of negative outcomes and resulted in the positive aspects of teenage motherhood being ignored. Equally it has also been argued that the presence of social support tends to ameliorate many of the negative outcomes often associated with teenage parenthood (Furstenburg & Crawford 1978; Barthet al 1983). Given that social support has the potential to improve outcomes for teenage mothers the aim of this paper is to critically analyze the literature on social support and the role this plays in teenage motherhood. More specifically it will

TEENAGE PREGNANCY examine the literature on three types of social support that of family, partner and peers. (Bunting, L., & McAuley) Is Teen Parenthood Being Glamorized? For the battle to be won, teen pregnancy needs to be de-glamorized, the same way smoking has been over the past generation, said NAEA executive director Valerie Huber.

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39759635/). When I first decided on the topic of teen pregnancy, the first question that came to mind Is teenage pregnancy being glamorized? There are two very popular television series on MTV called 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. Both shows follow teen girls as they take an uncertain road into teen parenthood. It showcases the girls struggles with daily life, issues with the childs father, how can they finish school, and most importantly how can they better their lives for themselves and their child. According to periodical article called Baby Mamas Each episode of 16 and Pregnant tracks one teen from the latter stages of pregnancy to the first months of her child's life. The series does not sugarcoat the challenges its subjects face: the slights and scorn of peers, friction with disappointed (grand)parents, colic, drudgery, arguments, sleep deprivation and--with dismayingly few exceptions--the burden of a feckless, absent or outright abusive boyfriend. Both 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom (which features alums of 16 and Pregnant such as Bookout, Abraham and Portwood) beckon viewers to the website ItsYourSexLife.com, which offers sex-ed resources and promotes dialogue between teens and their parents about sex. (http://web.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=123&sid=09fc6ff0-50fc4c81-90706aba5da08810%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db =aph&AN=62653963). Critics of the show can say that the show glamorizes teen motherhood by

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paying these young ladies to showcase their lives on national television, as well as being featured on cover of magazines and becoming household names. I watch the show weekly and I believe that it sheds light of the hardships of being a teen parent. Possible Theories to Explain This Phenomenon Bronfenbrenner is the leading contributor to the ecological systems theory. The ecological theory uses four types of roles and norms that shape childrens development. In order to make the theory is easy-to-understand Bronfenbrenner described it as the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macro system. It is stated that, This theory looks at a childs development within the context of the system of relationships that form his or her environment. Bronfenbrenners theory defines complex layers of environment, each having an effect on a childs development. This theory has recently been renamed bio ecological systems theory to emphasize that a childs own biology is a primary environment fueling her development. The interaction between factors in the childs maturing biology, his immediate family/community environment, and the societal landscape fuels and steers his development. Changes or conflict in any one layer will ripple throughout other layers. To study a childs development then, we must 7 look not only at the child and her immediate environment, but also at the interaction of the larger environment as well (http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf). The microsystem is where the child has direct daily contact with certain structures. The microsystem includes the childs family, school, daycare, and the childs neighborhood. Since this is the most important part of the ecological system the relationships have an impact that can go into different directions(both away from the child and towards the child). For example, a childs parents may affect his beliefs and behavior; however, the child also affects the behavior

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and beliefs of the parent. Bronfenbrenner calls these bi-directional influences, and he shows how they occur among all levels of environment. The interaction of structures within a layer and interactions of structures between layers is key to this theory. At the microsystem level, bidirectional influences are strongest and have the greatest impact on the child. However, interactions at outer levels can still impact the inner structures. ((http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf). The mesosystem is the connection between the childs microsystems. This can be the connection between the teacher and the childs parents. The exosystem is the layer where the child does not function directly. This could be the parents work place or work schedule; even though the child does not function directly in this atmosphere the child can still feel the positive or negative consequences associated with the interaction. The macrosystem consists of the childs culture, values, customs, and laws. For example if the childs culture believes that it takes a village to raise a child, not only will mom and dad punish you but Ms. Susie the next door neighbor will too. This gives the parents many more resources in order to raise their child in the appropriate way. Attachment theory describes the dynamics 8 of long-term relationships between humans especially as within families and between life-long friends. Its most important tenet is that an infant needs to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for social and emotional development to occur normally, and that further relationships build on the patterns developed in the first relationships. Attachment theory is an interdisciplinary study encompassing the fields of psychological, evolution, and ethological theory. (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Attachment_theory). For a lot of adolescents, going into the teen years can be a very stressful transition. This met with a lot of

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intense challenges and changes. During this time the teen is moving away from his or her parents as their primary attachments figure and are looking towards their friends to be their primary attachment theory. If the teens friends are engaging in risky behaviors such as having more than one sexual partners, having unprotected sex, and etc. the teen is more likely to engage in the same type of behavior(Tracey and Shaver p. 2). Adolescents interact simultaneously in several social spheres--such as family, peer, and neighborhood systems--that can serve to either restrain or promote individual behaviors (DiClemente, Salazar, Crosby, & Rosenthalp.1). The roles of the parents are very important; studies have shown that if parents are more focused on their childs wellbeing and know the whereabouts of their child, the adolescent is less likely to engage in risky behaviors (Voisin and DiClemente p.1). In understanding how the ecological theory works, if the child or adolescent is surrounded by teen pregnancy, risky behaviors, and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases this adolescent will believe that this behavior is okay. It is important for the adolescent to have support inside and outside of his or hers home. It is a belief that teen pregnancy and STDs can be prevented, but the question is how do public health officials began to combat these problems? In January 2011 Frayser high school made national 9 news because 90 girls were pregnant who currently attended the school. In Memphis, the teen pregnancy rate is between 15 percent and 20 percent and in Frayser, the rate is 26 percent, said Deborah Hester Harrison, executive director of Memphis Girls Inc. Its no surprise that Harrison places at least part of the blame on the media, such as the popular MTV shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. (http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/14/5841767-90-pregnancies-at-one-highschool). In order for Memphis to fight this epidemic, they have received funding from the Center

TEENAGE PREGNANCY of Disease Control (CDC) in order to conduct a youth risk behaviors survey and Implement effective policies, programs, and practices to avoid, prevent, and reduce sexual risk behaviors among students that contribute to HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and pregnancy. (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/states/locals/tn-memphis.htm). The youth risk behavior survey shows that 90% of teenagers in Memphis do not use protection when having intercourse. The survey also shows that over 60% of teens have had sex are sexually active. Memphis City Schools are implementing a lot of different programs that will teach teens the

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importance of using protection during sex and the different effects that STDs and pregnancy can have on their lives (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/states/locals/tn-memphis.htm#1). It is a well-known fact that parents play an important part in their childs development, there should be a free parenting class to parents that will teach them how to deal with their teens risky behaviors. Also teachers need to be better trained on how they deal with a students situation. Schools represent another socializing agent for adolescents and can be a significant source of support. This may be particularly important for many high-risk teenagers, whose families may lack adequate resources and parental support. Adolescents who believe that they are receiving high levels of support in school and feel that they are connected to teachers are less likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors compared with peers reporting less school support or teacher connectedness (DiClemente, Salazar, Crosby, & Rosenthal, p.1). By involving the parents and teachers into the preventive process teen pregnancy and STDs will decline. 11 Facts about Teenage Pregnancy 1. The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world twice as high as in England or Canada, and ten times higher as in Switzerland.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY 2. The U.S. teen pregnancy rate dropped six percent between 2008 and 2009. 3. About 750,000 teens get pregnant in the United States each year. Nevada has the highest teen birth rate; 113 out of every 1,000 teens will get pregnant. 4. About 1 in 3 women become pregnant at least once before they're 20.

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5. A sexually active teen that does not use contraceptives has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year. 6. It affects education - only a third of teen mothers earn their high school diploma. And only 1.5% has a college degree by age 30. 7. It also affects their kids - girls born to teen mothers are more likely to be teen mothers themselves. Boys born to teen moms are more likely to end up in prison. 8. 75% of girls and over half of boys report that girls who have sex do so because their boyfriends want them to. 9 .8 in 10 girls and 6 in 10 boys say they wish they had waited until they were older to have sex. 10. Most teens (6 in 10) and adults (3 in 4) believe that teen boys often receive the message that they are expected to have sex. 11. Diapers are expensive, but it's nothing compared to the $9 billion that teen pregnancy costs the United States each year. This includes increased spending in child welfare costs and public sector health care. (http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-teenpregnancy) Recommendations Preventing

TEENAGE PREGNANCY Teenage pregnancy carries a high cost not only in the terms of economic but the social health of the mother and children as well. Due to the fact that some teenagers are afraid to tell

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their parents that they are pregnant, they are less likely to receive timely if any prenatal care and their babies are more likely to be born before term, to have low birth weights, and to have developmental delays. Teenage mothers are also less likely to complete their education than moms over twenty years of age. Teenage pregnancy and birth rates both dropped in the 1990s among all racial and ethnic groups. Increased use of contraceptives and increased abstinence among teens could explain the decrease. However, the U.S. still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy among western industrialized nations, 42.9 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19. In 2002, there were 431,988 births to females under twenty. Four out of ten girls become pregnant by the age of twenty. Eighty percent of these teenage pregnancies are unintended, and 79 percent of pregnant teens are unmarried. The birth rate remains high in low-income, minority neighborhoods, where the birth rate still remains at 153 and 138 births per 1,000 for black and Hispanic teenage girls respectively. Sixty percent of all teenage mothers are in poverty at the time of birth. (http://www.cdc.gov/VitalSigns/TeenPregnancy/) Several studies have shown that teenage pregnancy is linked to several risk factors such as economic issues, living in a single-parent household, engaging in risky behaviors such as drug abuse and early or unprotected sex and if the teen was the victim of sexual abuse can all be predictors of whether a teenager will become a teen parent. According to Solutions for America, the three general strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy all try to increase the factors that protect teens against these risky behaviors. The first is an abstinence-only approach, which has not been shown to be effective. The second is comprehensive health education or sexuality education that includes information on contraception; this may delay sexual initiation and

TEENAGE PREGNANCY increase contraceptive use. Finally, youth development programs that include sex education

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along with other activities (such as volunteering, mentoring, and job training are associated with delayed first sex and lower teenage pregnancy rates. Overall, there are no simple approaches; a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy must include sexuality education, strategies for teen pregnancy prevention, and changing teenage behavior in relationships. Programs that seek to affect the teenage pregnancy rate should focus on increasing teens assets, such as knowledge about sex and sexuality and communication skills that allow them to approach sexuality responsibly. (http://www.solutionsforamerica.org/healthyfam/teenage-pregnancy.html) As public health officials, we should come up with a Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program, Health/Sexuality Education Program, and a plan to maintain the program. Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program Planning

walk-in health clinics, access to contraceptives, after school youth programs, etc.). Then there should be a determination of the history of teenage pregnancy prevention services in the community and who has been involved in the issue. There should be documentation of any gaps within the resources as well as trying to identify potential partners. - and long-term goals for the program. Some very common short-term goals should include improving adult-youth communication, improving knowledge of where to get birth control, and increasing use of birth control and reproductive health services. Long-term goals should include delaying sexual activity, if the teen has already engage in some form of sexual activity, the frequency of sex should be decreased, lowering the number of sexual partners, and reducing teenage pregnancy and rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

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especially if the community norms look negatively upon teen sexual activity. Schools and churches can and are the most difficult factors to include; however, it is crucial getting a range of ideas that include all cultures in a community. Understand and recognize that even though there will rarely be an agreement; it is possible to settle on a common good, such as lowering pregnancy rates.

specifically aimed at improving parent-child communication, there should be a goal to improve the connection between parent and child. This would help lower risky behavior that in turn would lower the risk of teenage pregnancy.

having a child early affect the girls, but what about the boys? From the beginning plan to involve men and boys.

Make sure the recruitment efforts are placed in an area that is highly frequented by teens. Again please include the boys! Health/Sexuality Education Programs

small group settings are more successful. Give teens basic, accurate information, and please do not talk down to teenagers. The goal here is to build trust!

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15 -child communication. There is a

myth that talking to teens encourages them to have sex while in reality kids rely on their parents for positive directions and to address this issue. Use specific strategies for teenage boys. For example: Teenage boys need positive role models find coaches, teachers, etc. and train them to be positive role models. Please do not reinforce the negative views of men, i.e. men only use girls for sex or they do not take care of their children.

Help young boys to look at the ideas of manhood differently, this should include responsibility for sexual behavior.

ored strategies for teenagers in different age groups. There should be written materials and behavioral strategies that are geared towards specific levels of literacy, physical and emotional development. All teens including boys should learn behavioral skills such as decision-making, refusing to have sex, and how to bring up the subject of contraception in a relationship.

should be a clinic that provides one-on-one counseling, accurate information on contraceptives, as well as provide contraception can be a valuable way of increasing the use of contraceptives

TEENAGE PREGNANCY without increasing sexual activity. Be sure the clinic can provide or refer to mental health and other health services.

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Maintaining Progress

contraception services. Please continue outreach this sustained effort is necessary to maintain results. Conclusion Teen pregnancy brings hefty social and economic costs through instant and long-term impacts on teen parents and their children. Teen pregnancy costs the United States more than $9 billion per year in costs that taxpayers have to pay for increased health care and foster care for the children of teen parents. Teen Pregnancy is the leading contributor to high school dropout rates amongst teen girls. According to the CDC, only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by age 22, versus nearly 90% of women who had not given birth during adolescence. Studies have shown that the children of teenage mothers are more likely to have lower school achievement and drop out of high school, have more health problems, be incarcerated at some time during adolescence, give birth as a teenager, and face unemployment as a young adult. (http://www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/AboutTeenPreg.htm). By implementing a program that focuses on all teenagers, involve parents, the communities, and etc. teenage pregnancy would decrease significantly. The money taxpayers pay for the teen pregnancy could be used somewhere else in order to better our country.

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