Analyzing data from the High School and Beyond survey on the behavior of 13,000 high school sophomore women over a two-year period, this document reveals the following facts about single motherhood: (1) young women with different background profiles exhibit markedly different rates of single parenthood; (2) because teenage women who become single mothers are a highly diverse population, not all are equally responsive to the same forms of social control; (3) background factors influencing single motherhood are race/ethnicity, academic ability, socioeconomic status, parenting, religious commitment, willingness, problem behavior, and opportunity costs; (4) distinct forms of social restraint predominate for Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics: close parental supervision for Blacks, high-quality parent relationship for Whites, and religious commitment for Hispanics; (5) the individual teenager's own awareness and perception of what she would stand to lose by becoming an early, unwed mother can act as a powerful deterrent; and (6) the influence of school peers exists only among Whites. Data are presented on 43 tables and figures. Appendices describe the construction of the analysis file, controlling for background and ability differences among individuals, and the derivation of other variables. An eight-page list of references is included. (BJV)