The Effects of Teen Pregnancy on Children Essay

How not having a father figure affected their emotional and phycological well-being. Also, it taught the readers that sometimes having a father does not necessarily, mean they are a father figure, for example Mr. Clutter, he was there for his family and children, but he chose other things to be proud of instead of his children, he felt that his achievements were more important than his children’s

In the 1960s and early 1970s, more unmarried women who became pregnant decided not to get married. As more teenage mothers remained single, public concern increased. Teen pregnancies were, often presented as a medical problem to be, treated with more access to clinics, birth control and abortion. There was a shift from viewing teen pregnancy as a moral problem to that of seeing it as a psychological or health problem (Adams, 1997).

I spent the majority of my life being raised by a single mother due to my parents’ divorce. Because of my parents’ divorce, my mother stated firmly that I had changed and became a difficult child. I remember rebelling, suffering with low self-esteem and self-worth and blaming myself for the absence of my father. It was not until I was well into womanhood that I found peace within myself, as well as with my nonresidential father. Through the preparation for this study, I have a better understanding of the external and internal factors that can and will affect the father-daughter relationship.

Teenage birth rates, defined as live births per one thousand 15-19-year-old US females, declined by 10% from 2012 to 2013 from 29.4 to 26.5. In fact, the birth rate has been on a steady decline over the past 20 years, from 61.8 in 1991 to 26.5 in 2013. Teenage pregnancy represents both a health and social inequality in our society. Specifically, teenage childbearing is a public health issue because teenage mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes such as dropping out of school. This is a self-reinforcing cycle, as children of teenage mothers face higher chances of poor academic achievement as well as getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant in their teenage years (CDC). Although the overall rates of teenage pregnancy have dropped, ultimately, the variations in the rates reflect the intersecting disparities regarding race and ethnicity, income inequality, geography, and environmental factors, which in turn affect access to medical care, education, and resources.

Did you know 30% of children in the United States live in a single-parent household as of 2012? ( )Every year this number is on the rise and it is causing children everywhere to suffer. When children are raised in an environment with only one parent they can have less opportunities and less supervision than a child with two parents. Children should not be raised in single-parent households because it can lead to abuse from parents, violence in children and poverty.

Today, many households are headed by single women raising children, some with the presence or involvement of the father and others without. According to Vargas et al. (2016), parenting by a single mother is defined as a home sustained by a maternal caregiver for many reasons to include absence, neglect, divorce, or death of the other parent. According to Anderson (2002), half of American children at some point in their childhood will live in a household that’s being reared by a single parent, who is primarily the mother. Lowry (2005) uses the term “social disaster” when describing the epidemic of absenteeism of father from the household.

A father and son relationship is very important. It is the foundation for boys to become men. The article, “Why the Father Wound Matter: Consequences for Male Mental Health and the Father-Son Relationship”, by Eric D. Miller explains the concept of a father wound that can manifest in males due to a father neglecting or abusing them. Miller stresses that by becoming fathers’, men can overcome father wounds. He touches upon the idea of masculinity, and how it can be a factor to why there is sometimes a distant relationship between a father and a son. The “A Father’s Call: Father-Son Relationship Survival of Critical Life Transitions”, by Ivory Achebe Toldson and Ivory Lee Toldson explains the relationship between a father and a son from adolescent into adulthood. Lee who was the father describes his struggles through a divorce and how he stayed connected to his son no matter what occurred. Lee’s son Achehbe is also featured in the article and expresses the rough childhood he went through without his father being directly in his life. Together these two articles show that a father is essential to the raising of a boy because without one many form father wounds along with emotional problems.

2002). In 2000 (the date of the most recent complete U.S. Census data), there were

Despite the fact that the majority of children in America live in a two-parent household, alarming Census Bureau data reveals an enormous drop in the number of two parent families. Using their most recent data, the United States Census Bureau reports a 1.2 million drop in the number of two-parent households over the past decade (Bureau). Families without fathers impacts nearly eighteen million children in the United States. Fatherless households account for the majority of single parent households; however, motherless families influence another five million children (Bureau). Numerous reasons account for how single parent households develops; but as the number of children nurtured in single-parent homes continues to rise, a disturbing number

Adolescent parenthood has been an issue of public concern for many years. Adolescent parenthood has been the subject of numerous articles, public health reports, and public debate. So what makes adolescent parenthood such a popular topic of discussion and a reoccurring social problem? How does an adolescent parent relate to such public issues as education, poverty, and family? Researchers conduct literature reviews and original research in an effort to find a resolution to decrease adolescent pregnancy/parenthood and methods to improve the quality of life for adolescent parents. Although these articles share many themes and patterns, often their reason for conducting the research, methods, conclusion, and belief regarding adolescent

The trend of single-parent households are drastically increasing every year. One out of every two children will live with a single-parent at some time before they reach the age of 18 years old. The United States Census Bureau reported in 2002 that about 20 million children (more than one-fourth of all the

“In 1970, the number of single parent families with children under the age of 18 was 3.8 million. By 1990, the number had more than double to 9.7 million” (uakron), Single parenting has immensely increased over the years becoming a less alienated family structure than the traditional two parent structure. Despite their parenting style becoming more common among the U.S, Single parenting has many disadvantages. For instance single parents struggle financially because instead two people working and bringing two paychecks home there is only one person working supporting the family. As a result, single parents have the highest percentage of poverty, despite government aid programs such as welfare, food stamps, etc.

Most families who are financially troubled live in poverty, rely on the welfare system to make up for discrepancies in career choices. Children who are raised in a state like this often turn to the "streets" to earn a income. The streets is a reference to crimes such as selling illegal drugs, guns, robbery, etc. " In 1990, some 16.3%(1,749,343) of the total number of arrests in the United States were of youth 17 years of age and younger, and 5.5%(95,677) of these arrests were for violent crimes"(www.Princeton.edu)

This paper explains the impact of single parenting on children in the Unites States .Over the years the “normal family” form has changed due to the increase in the numbers of children born outside of marriages and the increase in divorce rates. Now many children live in households other than the two-parent household. Single-parenting is the lifestyle chosen by many parents, though the majority of single-parent households are regulated by the mother. Research shows there are many different effects on children raised in single-parent households both positive and negative.

Single parent households are a sensitive topic that is highly debated today. This topic is one that has repercussions for both the parents and the children involved. However, regardless of the different consequences, these households continue to grow in the coming years. “In 1970, traditional two-parent married households dominated, making up 81 % of all households in the United States (US). By 2012 this number dropped to around 66 % … In 2012, approximately 21 million children, or 28 % of all children in the US, lived with one parent” (Kramer, 2015). It is interesting to look at the way the single parent households continue to grow throughout the years, all while being a hot topic for discussion on its consequences. When thinking about a book to read for this course, there was no real choice. I stumbled upon this book and knew right away that I could benefit from this book, as well as connect to it on a deeper level and relate to it personally.