This article examines the literature on schooling for teenage mothers in order to expose the normalizing discourses that position young mothers as at risk for failure. Through an exploration of the historical and socio-cultural positioning of teenage mothers over the past few decades, the author illustrates the schooled responses to adolescent…

The phenomenon of teenage motherhood is a major concern worldwide. The teenage mothers endure many challenges that could affect their academic goals and successes if there is insufficient support. However, some teenage mothers manage to develop certain forms of flexibility to manage these adversities. This study explored the teenage mothers'…

While recent research has shown the long-term effects of teen pregnancy are not as devastating as once predicted, more than 40 years after the passage of Title IX legislation mandating equal educational opportunities for pregnant and parenting teens, only 50% of teen parents graduate high school, lagging far behind their non-parenting peers. This…

This paper examines two aspects of teen childbearing in the United States. First, it reviews and synthesizes the evidence on the reasons why teen birth rates are so uniquely high in the United States and especially in some states. Second, it considers why and how it matters. We argue that economists' typical explanations are unable to account for…

Can the use of a method such as role play help reduce sexual risk behaviour among KwaZulu-Natal learners? A study was undertaken of the use of role plays by Grade 8 learners, at eight urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal high schools, as part of a programme to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Within the framework of Bandura's Social Cognitive…

Describes a model program to address the problems of pregnant teens. Services include education, health care assistance, economic self-support assistance, prevention of child abuse, family preservation, coordination of helping programs, and counseling on options. (CH)

The historical context of teen pregnancy in the US and its evolution to the present embodiment of the predominantly urban "welfare mother" developed from specific socio-historical contexts that deemed early childbirth, especially illegitimate pregnancies, as morally and socially deviant. Two conceptual elements missing within the literature on…

The Executive Committee and the Subcommittee on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention were charged to develop and provide leadership to implement a state plan to reduce adolescent pregnancy in Wisconsin. Both the negative outcomes for adolescent parents and their children and the cost to society are at issue. This document serves as a first step to…

This document reports on the feasibility of requiring private insurance carriers to provide coverage of the pregnancy-related expenses of dependent minors and newborn care expenses of their offspring in Texas. The document relates the history of legislative interest in the topic of teenage pregnancy. The report states that although private medical…

Teenage pregnancy and parenthood have unfortunate consequences for society, teenage mothers, and the children born to them. This report to the Senate is intended to provide information on (1) state strategies to reduce teen pregnancy and how states fund these efforts; (2) how welfare reform affected states' strategies; (3) the extent to which…

This report includes the meeting highlights from a policy seminar which looked at successful models of state action taken by Illinois, Maryland, and North Carolina to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy. Shirley Randolph, Associate Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, described the Illinois initiative called Parents Too…

This special issue of the "Family Life Educator" features a planning document on adolescent pregnancy prevention designed to assist communities throughout the United States in translating the National Research Council's recommendations and strategies from the "Risking the Future" study into steps for future action. An introduction provides a…

The authors review trends in the problem area of teen pregnancy and the consequences of early parenthood for the family. Current efforts in this problem area are highlighted. The authors make seven recommendations to home economists. (CH)

Sixteen white intact families with unwed teenage daughters completed two measures of family adaptability and alliance at six and eight months during the pregnancy and one month after the baby's birth. Most families became more cohesive and had improved family functioning after the pregnancy. (SLD)

This publication examines in detail the problem of teenage pregnancy in South Carolina. Following the executive summary and a listing of eight recommendations based on the report, chapter 1 presents tables of selected vital statistics related to teen pregnancy in South Carolina. All statistics are shown by county and by Department of Health and…