Teenage pregnancy remains one of the most significant social issues affecting American society. Statistics show that one in every eight people living in the United States is a teenager. Other than being a social problem, it is also a significant public health issue that has significant medical implications (Kappeler, 2015). Teenage pregnancy involves a situation where girls below the age of 20 become pregnant. Several factors have been implicated in the widespread teen pregnancy not only in the US but also in the rest of the world. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention identifies socioeconomic conditions, including low income and low levels of education as the primary drivers towards the increased teen pregnancy. For me, this is an interesting topic because it will allow me to understand teen pregnancy from a sociological point of view and eventually come up with solutions that could help me stop it in my locality. Teenage pregnancy originates from poverty and peer pressure, thus causing social and economic challenges to society.
Social Factors Contributing To the Problem
The first social factor responsible for the increased teenage pregnancy in the US is poverty. Furstenberg (2008) says, "The United States, one of the richest nations in the world, has higher poverty rates than any advanced Western country other than the former Soviet Union." The high poverty rates explain the high rates of unwed teenage pregnancy. There is a strong correlation between teen pregnancy and poverty. Research conducted in the US has shown that teenage mothers are more likely to emanate from low socioeconomic backgrounds and also tend to depend on public assistance (Teen Pregnancy Prevention, 2018). Most importantly, the problem seems to have an intergenerational effect. For instance, children born from teenage mothers have a higher probability of low school achievement. They might end up joining the correctional or child welfare systems. Their likelihood of dropping out of high school remains high meaning that they risk becoming teenage mothers. Sociologists believe that teenagers growing in low socioeconomic backgrounds lack the much-required foundation to guide their sexual life. Most of them have parents struggling with breadwinning responsibilities meaning that they have inadequate time to guide children on the required morals pertaining to sex and sexual life. It, therefore, shows that poverty is closely linked to low levels of family connectedness, which has an adverse impact on the life of the teen.
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The second social factor associated with teenage pregnancy is peer pressure. In confirming the influence of peer pressure, Thobejane (2015) asserts, "Peer pressure is often seen as one of the most influential factors affecting the teenager's sexual decision." When children attain the age of adolescents, they tend to exist in groups of trusted friends. The opinion or actions of one member can significantly impact others. The author continues by saying that in most circumstances, the peer pressure tends to originate from the opposite sex. Teen females can be prone to pressure originating from slightly older me to engage in unprotected sex. Out of fear, the younger females might engage in the unprotected sex leading to pregnancy. In most cases, the peer pressure is voluntarily and viewed as an adventure. Adolescence is a period of significant exploration. Unprotected sex can be interpreted as an opportunity to demonstrate true feelings or love to the partner (Thobejane, 2015). Sociological research has also shown that peer pressure plays a significant role in the emotional and social development of American children. They believe that most children end up giving into peer pressure due to the fear of not fitting in. Therefore, the role of peer pressure in teenage pregnancy cannot be underestimated.
Consequences of the Social Problem
The consequences of teenage pregnancy can broadly be classified into social and economic challenges. Socially, teen pregnancy leads to a cycle of poverty as previously established. Most of the teenage mothers do not complete their education and therefore, do not have the means to cater to the needs of their children. They end up relying on public assistance, which does not do anything to alleviate their economic position. Some end up getting into abusive relationships due to the desperate situation. Sychareun et al. (2018) provide a new perspective of the social problem associated with teen pregnancy when they say, "Early marriage and pregnancy is a risk factor for poor maternal and child health and socioeconomic outcomes." The social problems of adolescent pregnancy are many and far-reaching. The mothers can suffer from both physical and psychological health problems following their birth. Research has shown that due to their age, the risk of birth complications remains high. Sychareun et al. (2018) assert that globally, teenage pregnancy is the second most significant cause of mortality among adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years. If they survive death, mental health problems associated with their life condition will set in. Some of the common ones include depression, anxiety, and stress, among others. Lastly, teen pregnancy in the US has been implicated in the deteriorating rates of literacy among teenagers. Most of these people fail to finish high school education leave alone the postsecondary studies.
Secondly, teenage pregnancy can lead to economic problems not only to the individual but also to the rest of the country. Garwood et al., (2015) in emphasizing the severity of the issue, asserted that "the public cost of teen pregnancy amounted to $9.4 billion in 2010 alone." The government is forced to provide care to young mothers and their children through public assistance and social programs. More importantly, they have to cater for their health because most of them do not have the much-needed healthcare insurance. Without these burdens, the government could easily channel these funds to more productive areas of the economy, such as healthcare and infrastructure. The economic implication can also fall on the family of the teenager. As previously shown, teenage pregnancy primarily occurs in low socioeconomic families. The unprepared entry of another child means that the family will be required to work harder to cater to the increased needs. As such, this has an overall impact in increasing the overall poverty levels in the country. On the individual level, the teenager will also have their economic problems. First, they have not completed their studies, meaning that chances of acquiring a job are minimal. As such, this contributes to the cycle of poverty that was earlier identified.
Research Methods
A survey would be the best way to study this social problem. Ponto (2015) defines a survey as a method that relies on data collection from a particular sample population by taking their responses to question. A sociologist will significantly benefit from this method as it will give them the leverage to collect the much-needed information. They will begin by creating a survey which consists of questions relating to teenage violence. Secondly, they will identify their target population, which can include teenagers, parents, and policymakers, among others. The sociologist will set the question based on what they desire to prove as regards the topic.
A survey is the best choice because it is easy to administer. The sociologists will utilize both the online and offline platforms to get the much-required responses. The sociologist can investigate a host of issues, including the influence of poverty or peer pressure in the causation of the social problem of teen pregnancy. Lastly, a survey will be less costly compared to the rest of the methodologies, especially field research.
The survey will avail all the responses from the necessary stakeholders, including the teenagers, parents, and the policymakers. The responses will be analyzed and subjected to scientific methodologies. After that, they will be looked through the lenses of the thesis statement and the previously developed research questions. In that regard, the responses will be in a critical position to study the social problem of teen pregnancy.
Conclusion
Teenage pregnancy originates from poverty and peer pressure, thus causing social and economic challenges to society. Teenage pregnancy is one of the major social problems in the US. Although the rates have been declining in the last decade, it still remains a major social and public health problem. Poverty has a complex relationship with teen pregnancy. First, many adolescents that end up with pregnancy are from low socioeconomic families. Poverty is also associated with weak familial ties, thereby adversely impacting the dispensation of moral guidelines. Peer pressure is also associated with pregnancy due to the influence that friends and peers have on the life of a teenager. The problems associated with teen pregnancy can be classified into social and economic challenges. Examples of social problems include poverty, dropping out of school, poor health outcomes, and death. Economically, the country, the family, and the individual will be affected. Studying this social problem would best be managed by a sociologist using a survey as their methodology.
References
Furstenberg, F. (2008). Teen pregnancy and poverty: 30-Year-Study confirms that living in economically-depressed neighborhoods, not teen motherhood, perpetuates poverty. Council on Contemporary Families.
Garwood, S. K., Lara, G., Melissa, J. R., Katie, P., & Brett, D. (2015). More than poverty—teen pregnancy risk and reports of child abuse reports and neglect. The Journal of adolescent health: official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 57(2), 164.
Kappeler, E. M. (2015). Adolescent health and teen pregnancy in the United States: a progress report. Public Health Reports, 130(3), 196-198.
Ponto, J. (2015). Understanding and evaluating survey research. Journal of the advanced practitioner in oncology, 6(2), 168.
Sychareun, V., Vongxay, V., Houaboun, S., Thammavongsa, V., Phummavongsa, P., Chaleunvong, K., & Durham, J. (2018). Determinants of adolescent pregnancy and access to reproductive and sexual health services for married and unmarried adolescents in rural Lao PDR: a qualitative study. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 18(1), 219.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention (2018). National Conference of State Legislatures http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-pregnancy-prevention.aspx
Thobejane, T. D. (2015). Factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in South Africa: The case of Matjitjileng Village. Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 6(2), 273-277.
