| Summary: | Adolescent pregnancy and parenting is a multifaceted issue that touches upon the very fabric
that weaves together our social mores. Because of the perceived limitations teen parents
place on their educational and economic futures, most research on adolescent pregnancy and
parenting has focused on prevention. Research on teen mothers has shown that they are
generally poor, have low levels of education, are prone to unstable relationships, and put
their children at risk of being teen parents. Although teenage pregnancy prevention
initiatives are important, they have (perhaps unknowingly) created a void in research and
program development concerned with the well-being of adolescent mothers and their
children. This study examines stereotypes directed toward teenage mothers (both historically
and currently), relates both feminist and systems/ecological theory to teenage mothers, and
undertakes reflective research on women who were teenage mothers.
Twenty-one women who were teenage mothers (21 to 36 years old) participated in a
reflective study addressing the relationship of three social support networks (family,
community, and peers) to their level of education, economic well-being, and personal
contentment. The study used a self-administered questionnaire consisting of fifty-four
closed-ended, quantitative questions and three open-ended qualitative questions. Results
from the questionnaire indicate a lack of community acceptance and social support programs
(access to education and childcare) available to teen mothers. Strong positive relationships
between the age of the participants, level of education, and total annual income were also
observed. Examination of Canadian census data reveals that decreases in teen pregnancy
over the last 30 years are proportional to the reduction of the overall Canadian birth-rate.
The Canadian census data also indicate that adolescents who live on their own tend to live in
poverty, regardless of whether or not they are a teen mother. Hence it must be considered
that many of the stereotypes projected upon teen mothers may represent demographic
phenomena prevalent among youth. Although the sample size is small (21 participants) this
study contributes to a better understanding of the needs of teen mothers and is a good
stepping stone for further research.
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