Teen parents and their children are at risk of heightened risks of adverse short and long term health and social results. Studies by Asheer, Berger, Meckstroth, Kisker, & Keating, 2014), indicate the need for effective interventions to maintain young families. This research further illustrates that the absence of rigorous examinations are attributed to insufficient emphasis on and effective funding for analysis. These causes are also attributed to problems program evaluators have encountered, as they work with populations. The study includes the problem statement, the nature of the problem which addresses the prevalent of the teen parenting among other issues. There is also the section of the causes of the teen problem, interventions of the adolescent parenting and summary of the research. This study argues that increased programs that assist teen parents avoid repeated pregnancies are likely to result in their success in career goals.
Problem Statement
Majority of the teen parents face challenging lives coupled with the struggle of bringing up their offspring. These problems are among the underlying causes increased stress levels among adolescent parents, substance and drug abuse, poor parenting, and low standards of living. Several programs can be applied to eliminate these issues. However, with low educational levels, these teenage parents still face it rough leading normal lives. It is for this reason that the Durante Foundation sought to introduce training classes to the teen parents in one of the urban communities in the country. The foundation seeks to apply effective and efficient interventions to improve the lives of the participants. This objective of based on the hypothesis that increased programs that assist teen parents avoid repeated pregnancies are likely to result in their success in career goals. Durante Foundation is an agency that seeks to offer four months parenting classes for teen parents within an urban environment. The services are open to both teen parents irrespective of the age of their children. Referrals of the participants are through such groups as the local schools and the Department of Children and Family services. The analysis conducted by the Durante Foundation indicates that the community members are likely to take more than 12 years in school. Based on the findings by the Foundation, funding should be made possible to people who are likely to take more than 12 years in formal schooling. From the mentioned services, the program hopes to increase the knowledge about child development, increase the sense of competence in parenting, reduce reported stress levels, and convictions related to compassionate behavior management strategies instead of corporal punishment.
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Research Questions
Can increase in knowledge enable teen parents improve their living standards?
Will the knowledge on increased sense of parenting assist adolescent parents manage their children’s behavior in a better manner?
Will increased knowledge on child development assist adolescent parents overcome stress issues in their lives?
Nature of Teen Parenting
Teen parenting refers to the type of parenting among populations of less than 20 years. Pregnancy takes place among the sexually active females either before they experience their first menstrual period or after the onset of her periods. Teen parenting can happen as early as age 12, especially among the well nourished females. Within the country, it is approximated that a third of the high school students are sexually active with at least 79% of the girls using birth control. This involvement positions the girls at higher risks of health, economic, and social challenges. According to CDC studies, among the girls aged 15-19 in 2015 had a birth rate of 22.3 in every 1,000 women. This statistic is lower than that realized in 2014 (2017). However, the rate is still high as compared to the costs of supporting the group. Pregnant teenagers often undergo similar pregnancy related challenges, in addition to health related concerns as they are yet to fully develop physically. Girls within the age of 15-19 face risks attributed by socioeconomic factors than biological factors. Such risks as premature labor, pre-eclampsia, anemia, and low birth weight are often related with biological age even after managing the rest of the risk factors (Mueller, T. et al., 2016).
According to UNFPA, teenage pregnancies in girls under 18 years have permanent results. The rights of the girls are violated, in addition to the risks of sexual and reproductive health, which poses higher developmental costs to the health sector (Langham, 2015). Girls are more affected than teen fathers as they have to drop out of school thereby threatening their future prospects and career opportunities. This is more prevalent in the developing countries where the affected girls face additional risks of malnutrition due to high poverty rates. Other studies show that the risk of maternal death in girls below age 15 is much higher than in women in their twenties ( 11 facts about teen pregnancy , 2018). A combination of educational interventions and enhanced birth control have been realized to reduce the risk of inadvertent teenage pregnancies.
Causes of Teen Parenting
Teen pregnancy is an emotive concern as it often makes headlines and great discussions. Previous studies show that teenage pregnancy is likely to take place among the population that experience social inequalities, lower employment opportunities, and educational levels (CDC, 2017). Several causes have been discovered behind the problem related to early pregnancy among the adolescents in America (Acquah, 2017). These include poverty, which make teenage girls to be trapped by the older males. Broken homes where the parents are poor and have no control over their children makes the teenagers suffer a lot. Separation of parents due to marital issues or if one of them has travelled out of town makes stubborn children take advantage of the situation. Single parents and death of a parent are other causes of teenage pregnancy. Other adolescents face peer pressure and lust from their peers. This results into psychological and sexual feelings. Drug abuse, rape, and sexual abuse, in addition to ignorance, pornography, and environmental influence are other likely causes of early pregnancies.
Intervention
Previous studies indicate the needs of teen mothers, which cannot be dealt with a single program. For this reason, the study focuses on the findings of several programs on adolescent pregnancy. Based on the research by(), youths who are motivated into their future can increase the birth spacing and have better lives. The finding is based on the theory of Possible selves, which was applied by the AIM 4 Teem Moms program. By incorporating the theory into their program, the Project AIM was able to motivate teen mothers to avoid repeat pregnancies and have positive future career. An evidenced-based practice shows that encouraging mothers to take up long-term contraception, they were able to eliminate the high rates of teen pregnancies (Asheer, Berger, Meckstroth, Kisker, & Keating, 2014).
Other studies by Rose, Prince, Flynn, Kershner, and Taylor (2014), show that several proposals have been suggested to counter the negative findings. These proposals are assumedly successful through the community and family support as the affected parents advance their education and become employed. These include TPP programs supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, which sought to maximize the opportunities to prevent teen pregnancies. This support is implemented by the effective evidence-based initiatives while generating new evidence. The support is focused on those who deserve special attention- the homeless, those in juvenile systems, and in foster care. These among other programs show an improved statistics on the teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and other risk behaviors. The program in addition has been strengthening communities to identify and select effective programs that can meet their needs.
Parenting support has been another form of preventive program applied among the high school students in Carolina. This system, according to Rose, Prince, Flynn, Kershner, and Taylor (2014), has been effective in minimizing teenage pregnancy and sexual behaviors. These programs have been applied in schools only. However, with the request of the parents, it is necessary for the support programs to be rolled to home basis for better effectiveness.
A holistic approach is effective in addressing teenage parenting. This measure dictates that the focus is not only based on the behavior of the girls but also on the underlying causes of the adolescent pregnancy, including address of the gender inequality, social pressures, and poverty. The approach encompass offering of comprehensive sexual education for all girls, sexual violence, and development of gender-equitable communities(). Several challenges are related to the application of interventions to teen parenting. These encompass the challenge of reaching out to the participants, developing of trusts and recruitment logistical obstacles. These challenges have resulted in missed appointments, and difficulties in making schedules. Notably, due to the ensuing challenges, the teen mothers’ overarching services demand wide service delivery framework. The study by Asheer, Berger, Meckstroth, Kisker, & Keating (2014) has been useful as it has involved group sessions and one- on-one programs to identify teen mothers and assist in eliminating their challenges. In addition, the study made use of their staff capacity for training and practice.
Even though much emphasis has been made on teenage pregnancy, little support has been driven towards services the teenagers require while they are pregnant or after becoming parents. This limitation is partially attributed to much emphasis on the prevention of teenage pregnancy and recurrent pregnancy cases (Kappeler, 2015). It is therefore necessary for future studies to lay much emphasis on the special needs of teen parenting, for continued enhanced well being and life outcomes.
Summary
While pregnancies in general have unique demands, teenage parenting is especially unique due to the adolescent developmental stage. Several intervention programs identified common themes including recruitment and retention, obstacles to participations, overarching service needs of the participants, and staff ability. Persistence and buy-in from the partners were common requirements for the teen parent participants. Within the country, social issues such as low educational levels and poverty are the major causes of risk factors among the teen mothers. Since this occurrences is usually outside of marriage, the affected individuals often face social stigma within their community and cultures. Apart from community and school programs to enroll students back to school, parent support proves much more effective as it can be applied both at home and in school.
References
11 facts about teen pregnancy . (2018). Retrieved from https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-teen-pregnancy
Acquah, K. M. (2017). Causes, effects, and prevention and control of teenage pregnancy. Linkedin . Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/causes-effects-prevention-control-teenage-pregnancy-acquah
Asheer, S., Berger, A., Meckstroth, A., Kisker, E., & Keating, B. (2014). Engaging pregnant and parenting teens: Early challenges and lessons learned from the evaluation of adolescent pregnancy prevention approaches. Journal of Adolescent Health . Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X13007775
CDC. (2015). About Teen Pregnancy . Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
Kappeler, M. E. (2015). Adolescent health and teen pregnancy in the United States: A Progrss Report. Public Health Report . Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4388214/
Langham, R. Y. (2015). What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? Livestrong . Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/146681-what-are-the-causes-of-teenage-pregnancy/
Mueller, T. et al. (2016). Teen pregnancy prevention: Implementation of a multicomponent, community-wide approach. Journal of Adolescent Health . 60(3): 9-17. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X16308266
Rose, I. Prince, M., Flynn, S., Kershner, S., Taylor, D. (2014). Parental support for teenage pregnancy prevention programmes in South Carolina public middle schools. Journal of Sex Education . 14(5). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681811.2014.918032
