Abstract
Prematurely constituted families are a problem of considerable magnitude in inner city communities. Research was conducted to compare and contrast a random sample (N36) of pregnant and nonpregnant late age low income African-American adolescent females' perceptions about their transition to adulthood. Findings suggest that adolescent pregnancy, although problematic, may be a solution to developmental concerns for some Black females and serves as a rite of passage to adulthood. Thematic categories of mate selection, opportunity mobility, and care protection represented psychological-attitudinal variables where the two groups differed significantly. Nonpregnant females were more frequently invested in behaviors that reflected social mobility goals than pregnant females.
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Stevens, J.W. Adolescent development and adolescent pregnancy among late age African-American female adolescents. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 11, 433–453 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876569
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01876569