Teen Pregnancy: Risk Factors, Protective Factors & Intervention

Introduction

Teen pregnancy is a global issue that affects girls (ages 13–19) in every culture and nation around the world. Approximately 33% of American teenage girls will become pregnant before they reach their 20s, which equates to roughly 745,000 teen pregnancies each year. Because these teens are not considered adults, their pregnancies place a certain amount of stress and burden on society. Pregnancy centers, help centers, and government subsidies all go toward addressing the issue, which means the socio-economic cost of teen pregnancy is quite high (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007).

Why does the problem continue to exist? There are numerous theories for why teen pregnancy has reached epidemic proportions. Some suggest it is cultural and point to Latino culture as a reason Latinas are at such high risk (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007). Others point to father absence (Ellis et al., 2003), sexual abuse in childhood (Boyer & Fine, 1992), and promiscuity and race as contributing factors (Vundule, Maforah, Jewkes, & Jordaan, 2001). This paper provides an overview of the topic, a brief literature review of risk and protective factors, and a proposal for a creative intervention designed to help prevent teen pregnancy.

Overview of Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is a major issue because it is so widespread, and because teen girls who become pregnant are more likely than adult women to suffer from a lack of prenatal care and pregnancy complications (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007). Many teens who become young mothers never complete their education, making it much harder for them to obtain a college degree and, consequently, a high-paying job in the labor market (Vundule et al., 2001).

For the children of teen mothers, outcomes are similarly difficult: they are more likely to suffer from childhood neglect or abuse, in part because their parents are essentially still adolescents who may not yet possess the maturity to care for a baby (Boyer & Fine, 1992). Teen mothers are also prone to emotional and mental stress, and their children face greater cognitive and developmental risks due to the unstable circumstances into which they are born. The family frequently endures intense socio-economic pressures as the single mother attempts to make ends meet while raising a child on her own (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007).

Risk Factors

Several risk factors have been identified for teen pregnancy. Both large households and single-parent families have been found to increase risk (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007; Vundule et al., 2001). The absence of a father in a girl's life is another major risk factor, as fathers are believed to provide a stabilizing influence and to give daughters a framework for evaluating potential partners (Vundule et al., 2001). While a father's presence is no guarantee against teen pregnancy, his absence is consistently identified as a significant risk variable in U.S. cases (Ellis et al., 2003).

Being a foster child or adopted child is another risk factor. A girl removed from her biological parents and placed in foster care faces a higher risk of teen pregnancy than one raised by her biological parents (Vundule et al., 2001). Parental absence or removal signals an unstable environment, and children need stability to navigate the developmental challenges that arise during adolescence. Without a family to guide and support them, girls may feel adrift and turn to the first young man who shows them affection—even when that relationship is sexual in nature and beyond their emotional readiness.

Girls who are themselves daughters of teen mothers are at elevated risk of repeating the pattern (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007). Unless a parent makes a deliberate effort to raise a daughter differently, the same behaviors tend to recur across generations. Additional risk factors include low self-esteem (Boyer & Fine, 1992) and poor-quality parent-child relationships characterized by little or no communication (Doğan-Ateş & Carrión-Basham, 2007).

Conclusion

The problem of teen pregnancy must be addressed, as it has reached epidemic proportions not only in the United States but throughout the world. The most effective approach is to understand its causes—that is, the risk factors that contribute to teen pregnancy. These factors include absent fathers, weak parent-child bonds, and having a mother who was herself a pregnant teenager. Protective factors identified by researchers include strong communication between parents and daughters, fathers who play an active role in family life, a culture of discipline within the family, a clear emphasis on the value of education, and religious belief and practice.

The intervention proposed in this paper consists of four programs designed to address risk factors and promote protective ones. The first is a character development summer camp intended to boost the confidence of teen girls. The second is a relationship seminar designed to teach parents the importance of staying together and working through difficulties. The third raises awareness among teens about risky behaviors, and the fourth promotes stronger bonds between parents and daughters. Taken together, these programs offer a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy for reducing teen pregnancy rates.

References

Boyer, D., & Fine, D. (1992). Sexual abuse as a factor in adolescent pregnancy and child maltreatment. Family Planning Perspectives, 4–19.

Doğan-Ateş, A., & Carrión-Basham, C. Y. (2007). Teenage pregnancy among Latinas: Examining risk and protective factors. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 29(4), 554–569.

Ellis, B. J., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Fergusson, D. M., John Horwood, L., Pettit, G. S., & Woodward, L. (2003). Does father absence place daughters at special risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy? Child Development, 74(3), 801–821.

Vundule, C., Maforah, F., Jewkes, R., & Jordaan, E. (2001). Risk factors for teenage pregnancy among sexually active black adolescents in Cape Town. South African Medical Journal, 91(1), 73–80.