Domestic violence, single parenthood, and fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.10.014

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 38, Issue 3, March 2006, Pages 201-207

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2004.10.014 Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the relative impact of demographic and early interpersonal family relationships as associations of fatherhood where the mother is a teenager, compared to where the mother is over 20 years of age.

Method

A prospective cross-sectional cohort study was undertaken. Institutional ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained. Data were analyzed from interviews with consecutive males about to become fathers where the mother was aged less than 20 years (teenage) and compared to information from males about to become fathers where the mother was aged 20 years or more (control). Subjects were interviewed to obtain information covering their early life experiences, demographic information, drug use, opinion of the pregnancy, and future planning.

Results

In multivariate analysis, and after controlling for family income and education, the following factors had a significant independent association with fatherhood in the setting of teenage pregnancy: a history of parental separation/divorce in early childhood, exposure to family violence in early childhood, and illicit drug use (ever or in pregnancy).

Conclusions

Fathers, in the setting of teenage pregnancy, are more likely to report adverse early family relationships, such as exposure to domestic violence or parental separation or divorce. As such, these fathers may lack a positive role model for parenting and fatherhood.

Section snippets

Methods

A prospective cross-sectional cohort study was undertaken. Institutional ethics committee approval and individual informed consent from study participants were obtained.

Access to fathers occurred after obtaining consent from the pregnant woman. Pregnant women aged less than 20 years were defined as teenage mothers, and the father of their baby was defined as a father in the setting of teenage pregnancy (teenage). Those women over 20 years were defined as non-teenage mothers and the father of

Results

Of 56 consecutive eligible pregnant teenage women approached to participate in the study (teenage group), informed consent was obtained from 50 (89% response). All partners subsequently provided consent for interview. The principle reason for the eligible mothers’ declining participation in the study was fear of a breach of confidentiality. Of 60 consecutive eligible pregnant women over 20 years of age approached to participate in the study (control group), informed consent was obtained from 50

Discussion

This is one of the first studies to specifically explore the early childhood background of fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy. We found that the fathers were just as likely as the mothers to have been raised in a home environment where the childhood relationships with and between their parents were negative or absent, and childhood experiences of violent parental relationship and/or parental separation or divorce were present. As with the teenage mothers, childhood experiences of

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The aim of this study was to improve understanding of long-term socioeconomic consequences of teen parenting for men and women.
Analysis is based on the Woodlawn Study, a longitudinal study of an African-American cohort from a socially disadvantaged community in Chicago; data were collected at childhood (N = 1,242), adolescence (N = 705), young adulthood (age 32 years, N = 952), and midlife (age 42 years, N = 833). This analysis focused on the 1,050 individuals with data on teen parenting. We used propensity score matching to account for differences in background characteristics between teenage parents and their peers and used multiple imputation to account for differential attrition.
The regression models after propensity score matching showed that at the age of 32 years, in comparison to nonteen mothers, teenage mothers were more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, depend on welfare, and have earned a GED or completed high school compared to finishing college. At the age of 32 years, teen fathers were more likely to be without a job than nonteen fathers. At the age of 42 years, the effect of teen parenting for women remained statistically significant for education and income. There were no significant associations between teen parenting and outcomes for men at the age of 42 years.
Socioeconomic consequences of teenage parenting among African-Americans from disadvantaged background seem to be primarily concentrated in women and persist throughout adulthood. In addition to promoting the delay of parenting after the teenage years, it is critical to provide programs at early stages in the life course to mitigate the negative socioeconomic consequences of teenage motherhood as effects for women are broad.
The environment and life history strategies: Neighborhood and individual-level models
2015, Evolution and Human Behavior
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The role of unemployment (indexing local resource shortages) was not consistent across the two studies. At a macro-level, indices of poverty have been linked to a multitude of behaviors pertinent to this study, including aggression, sexual precocity, mortality and family breakdown (Brewster, 1994; Coulton, Korbin, Su, & Chow, 1995; Lewin, 2005; Tan & Quinlivan, 2006; Wilson & Daly, 1997). The individual level model produced results that were inconsistent with the current literature.
Life history trajectories have been shown to be sensitive to local environmental conditions. Using English census data (2001), Copping, Campbell, and Muncer (2013) demonstrated that ecological indicators affect life history strategies (affecting levels of criminal violence and teenage conceptions). We replicated the original study using recently published census data (2011) to validate the model. We also examined whether census data from 2001 predict criminal violence and teenage pregnancy outcomes ten years later. Results demonstrated that the proposed model is applicable to both census periods. Predictions of violence and pregnancy rates in 2011 were higher when ecological estimates from 2001 rather than 2011 were modeled. Individuals' perceptions of ecological variables included in the models were also collected from 738 participants. There was a striking concordance between census and individual level data; all but five of the original pathways remained significant. Results highlight the importance of examining different units of analysis and implications are discussed from a life history perspective.
Adolescent fathers: The forgotten side of adolescent pregnancy
2011, Neuropsychiatrie de l'Enfance et de l'Adolescence
Les maternités à l’adolescence représentent 11 % des naissances annuelles dans le monde (OMS, 2009). Alors que ces maternités suscitent de nombreuses recherches, la paternité à l’adolescence reste un phénomène peu étudié et largement méconnu. La plupart des études les concernant a été menée avec des populations occidentales cumulant des facteurs de risque psychosociaux. Dans cet article, nous proposons une synthèse de la littérature récente concernant les pères adolescents, leur parentalité et leur relation de couple. Si les couples d’adolescents semblent soumis à une plus grande instabilité conjugale, la plupart des recherches montre que ces pères ont des expectatives positives par rapport à la parentalité et souhaitent garder une relation avec leur enfant et sa mère, et ce que le lien amoureux du couple soit ou non maintenu. Des formes de coparentalité peuvent tout à fait se maintenir alors que le couple parental n’entretient plus de relation conjugale. La présence et l’implication du père dès la grossesse, ou tôt dans le post-partum, sont pointées comme des prédicteurs significatifs non seulement de la qualité des relations du couple mais aussi du père avec l’enfant dans le post-partum et à plus long terme. Cependant, les pères adolescents se trouvent souvent exclus des programmes de prévention et d’aides financière, sociale et psychologique offerts aux mères adolescentes, et ce dès le suivi prénatal. Davantage d’études à plus long terme et incluant des populations de milieux socioéconomiques et culturels variés s’avèrent nécessaires pour rendre compte de la complexité de ce phénomène.
Whereas adolescent motherhood has been the object of significant research over the past decades, much less studies have dealt with adolescent fatherhood. Every year approximately 14 million of female teenagers aged 15 to 19 years give birth to a child in the world (WHO, 2009), which corresponds to 11% of annual births. Statistics concerning adolescent fathers are very scarce, and even non-existent in the majority of the countries. Fathers seem to be the forgotten face of adolescent pregnancy. In this article, we propose a synthesis of the recent literature on adolescent fathers, their transition to parenthood and their marital relationships.
Most studies have been carried out with Afro-American populations whose psychosociological profile of poverty, family deprivation and social exclusion is meant to explain the pregnancy as a result of a series of risk behaviors. These populations are exposed to many risk factors other than their young age, and this precludes any generalization of their results to other groups. Although adolescent couples seem to be subjected to a greater marital instability, most studies show that adolescent fathers have positive expectancies towards parenthood and wish to keep a relation with their child and his mother, whether they maintain or not a romantic relationship with her. Some forms of coparenting can be sustained even when the parental couple does not maintain anymore a marital relationship. In case of noncohabitation, it is important to support the parental alliance and coparenting in order to maintain the father's contact and involvement with his child. The presence and the involvement of the father since pregnancy, or the early postpartum, are pointed as significant predictors for both the quality of couple and father–child relationships in the postpartum and later. However, from pregnancy, adolescent fathers are often excluded from programs of financial, social and psychological support offered to teenager mothers.
Studies on adolescent fathers are still very few and often affected by a negative vision, which does not account for the diversity of situations. More research is needed on this topic, including a longitudinal design and populations of multiple socio-economic and cultural background. Lastly, it appears imperative to offer them the same programs of prevention and material and psychological support that those proposed to teenager mothers, in order to encourage their involvement since the antenatal period, as recommended by WHO.
Experiences of, and attitudes towards, pregnancy and fatherhood amongst incarcerated young male offenders: Findings from a qualitative study
2010, Social Science and Medicine
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There is evidence that young fathers in prison are more likely than other young fathers to have received disruptive parenting, lacking in love, guidance or consistency. This has left this population at increased risk of intergenerational transmission of harsh or abusive parenting (Tan & Quinlivan, 2006). There is also a weighty literature on desistance from recidivism which points to the protective quality of ‘social bonds’, including those arising from the offender valuing, and being valued as, being a part of a family unit (e.g. Farrall, 2002).
Teenage parenthood is problematised in the UK. Attention is increasingly falling on the potential or actual father yet we still know relatively little about young men’s experiences and attitudes in this area. This paper focuses on the experiences of, and attitudes towards, pregnancy and fatherhood amongst a sample of men incarcerated in a Scottish Young Offender Institute. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 inmates, aged 16–20, purposively sampled using answers from a questionnaire administered to 67 inmates. Twelve men reported eighteen pregnancies for which they were, definitely or possibly, responsible. All but one of the pregnancies were unplanned. Five of the men were fathers: two were still in a relationship with the mother of their child and were in close contact with her and the child while incarcerated, three, all of whom had separated from their partner before the birth, had had patchy contact with mother and child before and/or during their sentence. All five of the men expressed a strong desire to be ‘a good father’. Amongst the interview sample as a whole, most said they did not feel ready to become fathers. The main reason given was being unable to fulfil what they regarded as the key role of financial provider. Most of the men had given little or no thought to the possibility of a sexual partner becoming pregnant. Contraceptive use was high, however, amongst the minority who reported thinking about this possibility. The paper concludes by considering the cultural context of the men’s attitudes and the potential for intervention development for incarcerated male young offenders in the areas of Sex and Relationships Education and parenting.
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Original articleDomestic violence, single parenthood, and fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy

Abstract

Purpose

Method

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc Health

J Adolesc

J Pediatr

Obstet Gynaecol

Lancet

Socioeconomic disadvantage and adolescent women’s sexual and reproductive behaviourthe case of five developed countries

Fam Plann Perspect

The ages of fathers in California adolescent births, 1993

Am J Public Health

Original article
Domestic violence, single parenthood, and fathers in the setting of teenage pregnancy