In this article the authors call attention to the 1965 report, "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action," published by then Assistant Secretary to the Labor Department, Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Fifty years later, these authors suggest that, in retrospect, Moynihan understood that the emerging pattern he noted was troubling above…

In his 1965 report on the black family, Daniel Patrick Moynihan highlighted the rising fraction of black children growing up in households headed by unmarried mothers. He attributed the increase largely to the precarious economic position of black men, many of whom were no longer able to play their traditional role as their family's primary…

This study analyzed trends in marital behavior for unwed mothers who gave birth between 1960 and 2004. With nationally representative data on 15,353 White and Black unmarried mothers, results indicated that mothers who gave birth after 1989 were waiting much longer to marry than were mothers giving birth before 1968. The most pronounced delays…

Two aspects of teenage fertility are examined in this paper: (1) teenage fertility, in general, does not follow the conventional family formation process in which conception follows marriage; and (2) there are considerable differences between White and non-White teenagers in proportions either pregnant outside of marriage or single at delivery.…

Factors that might allow prediction of the unwed mother's decision to keep her child or to surrender it for adoption are examined in this study of 137 white and black clients of a social agency. (NH)

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)

Examines trends in black and white fertility since 1920, differences in family planning between the groups, and the relationship of family planning to black/white fertility differences. Finds that unplanned out of wedlock births are the most important factor affecting differences in the fertility rates between blacks and whites. (Author/GC)

Parental support and conflictive relationships in 48 black and white adolescent mothers (ages 14-19) were examined when their babies were 3 months old. Self-esteem and supportive relationships with fathers were negatively associated with depressive symptomatology among adolescent mothers. Differences in parental relationships and racial…

A large sample of single mothers was surveyed to compare Black attitudes and White attitudes toward having children. Finds that Black single mothers find a greater degree of satisfaction in parenting than do White single mothers. Suggests that White mothers look elsewhere for life satisfactions. (DM)

Examines risk factors for childhood homicides using data for Ohio-born children less than eight years of age killed between 1979 and 1986. Among the factors increasing risks were low birthweight, being Black, and having a mother who was teenage, unwed, or not a high school graduate. Other supports in the child's environment may reduce these risks.…

Stricter child support enforcement may reduce unwed childbearing by raising the costs of fatherhood. The authors investigate this hypothesis using a sample of young women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, to which they add information on state child support enforcement. Models of the probability of a teenage premarital birth and of…

The fertility rate for the 12 months ending in June 1988 was an estimated 69.7 births per 1,000 women aged 18 to 44 years. Fertility rates during the 1980s have been stable. The statistics on childbearing and birth expectations of U.S. women contained in the detailed tables of this report are based on data collected in the June 1988 supplement to…

Compares changes in birth rates, sexual activity, abortion rates, illegitimate births, and incidence of giving babies up for adoption among White and Black adolescents and explores social and cultural influences on the racial differences. Presents suggestions for culturally related interventions in the area of teenage pregnancy. (Author/MJL)

Presents comparative racial data on unwed mothers concerning disposition of offspring and their own marital decisions, and interprets findings in context of more general discussion of marriage reasons among women. Portions of paper presented at Society for the Study of Social Problems, Montreal, 1964. (Author/CJ)

This publication reports trends in teen childbearing in the nation, in each state, and in large cities using data from the 2001 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Rates of teenage childbearing continue to steadily decline, and the 2001 rates are historic lows for each age group. NCHS data showed that almost 80% of teen births nationwide…