Legacies of Advantage and Disadvantage: The Case of Teen Mothers

SmithBattle, Lee

doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2007.00651.x

Cited by 60 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Studies have found that adolescent pregnancy is more likely a consequence rather than a cause of economic and social disadvantage SmithBattle 2007b). In other words, pregnancy is not the impetus for the correlated negative "outcomes" of adolescent pregnancy, but rather, adolescent pregnancy is a reflection of the social context in which the pregnancy takes place Geronimus, 2003;SmithBattle, 2007b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In SmithBattle's study, she found transformed life meaning and priorities and a greater importance placed on school and careers for pregnant and parenting mothers. In fact, regardless of the adolescents' school status prior to their pregnancy, the anticipation of motherhood was an impetus for motivating them to remain in or return to school, improve grades, and gain a new interest in attending college (SmithBattle, 2007b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although much has been written regarding the long-term detrimental effects of adolescent pregnancy, some researchers have challenged the causal links between adolescent pregnancy and negative life outcomes Geronimus, 2003;Salusky, 2013;SmithBattle, 2007b). Studies have found that adolescent pregnancy is more likely a consequence rather than a cause of economic and social disadvantage SmithBattle 2007b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SmithBattle (2007b) and others (Geronimus, 2003;Salusky, 2013) have identified the disconnect between how health care professionals, scholars, and the general public see pregnancy influencing the lives of adolescents versus how adolescents see pregnancy affecting their own lives. SmithBattle (2007b) observed that the anticipation of motherhood led adolescents to reevaluate and refocus their priorities, often motivating them to want to complete school. In SmithBattle's study, she found transformed life meaning and priorities and a greater importance placed on school and careers for pregnant and parenting mothers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers have called for more qualitative studies that focus on the voices of adolescent women from an emic perspective (Geronimus, 2003;Salusky, 2013;SmithBattle, 2007b) and that identify the structural barriers that may be the impetus for aspirational changes and lowering of expectations . SmithBattle (2007b) and others (Geronimus, 2003;Salusky, 2013) have identified the disconnect between how health care professionals, scholars, and the general public see pregnancy influencing the lives of adolescents versus how adolescents see pregnancy affecting their own lives. SmithBattle (2007b) observed that the anticipation of motherhood led adolescents to reevaluate and refocus their priorities, often motivating them to want to complete school.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Building a “Better Life”

et al. 2015

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Adolescent pregnancy is often described as a major concern in public health and is associated with negative outcomes for educational and career attainment. Our objective was to compare the future aspirations of pregnant and parenting adolescents and identify social or structural barriers that they experience in their daily lives using journal entries from pregnant and parenting adolescents. The journals, which served as primary data sources, were completed by 52 multi-ethnic pregnant and parenting adolescents aged 15 to 19 in Indiana. Both pregnant and parenting adolescents aspired to provide a "better life" for their children that included finishing school and obtaining a career. An emergent theme is that the experience of pregnancy and parenting is transformative and may invoke a positive refocusing of life aspirations for educational and career attainment. However, social stigma and barriers exist that make achieving educational and employment opportunities difficult. The study findings indicate that pregnant and parenting adolescents need strong social support networks and practical tools to help harness their motivation and transcend social and material barriers to achieve their goals and aspirations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Building a “Better Life”

et al. 2015

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Teenage Childbearing, Reproductive Justice, and Infant Mental Health

Hans

White

2019

Infant Mental Health Journal

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Reproductive justice advocates emphasize the rights of women to choose to have children, to decide the conditions under which they give birth, and to parent their children with support, safety, and dignity. This article examines what a reproductive justice perspective contributes to infant mental health work with teenage mothers and their families. It explores the historical framing of teenage pregnancy in which young mothers are the cause of a variety of social problems and in which the primary policy and practice approach is pregnancy prevention. The article offers alternative framings of teenage childbearing, based on reproductive justice principles, which focus on social conditions surrounding teenage parenthood and the meaning of motherhood in the lives of young women. These alternative frames shift the practice agenda to eradicating unjust social conditions and providing supports for young women in their roles as parents. The article then describes ways in which two infant mental health programs have incorporated reproductive justice principles into their work with young families: Chicago's community doula model and Florida's Young Parents Project for court‐involved teenage parents. Finally, the article extracts a set of principles deriving from a reproductive justice perspective that are relevant to infant mental health work with young families.

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Support relationships and teen mothers’ school retention at one‐year postpartum

Assini‐Meytin

Mitchell

Lewin

2018

Journal Community Psychology

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Teen mothers face unique barriers to continuing education, making important the identification of key elements in their support systems that facilitate educational attainment. In this longitudinal quasi-experimental study, we investigate the unique role of different types and sources of support measured at baseline, from family and father of the baby, on teen mothers' return to school after childbirth.We analyze data of 102 urban, low-income African American teen mothers, retained over 12 months. Results show that teen mothers who received parental financial support soon after giving birth were over 5 times as likely to be in school or have graduated when their children were a year old. Additionally, remaining in a romantic relationship with the father of the baby was associated with reduced odds of returning to school, but only in the absence of an intervention program designed to support teen parent families . Findings highlight the unique importance of parental financial support, shortly after birth, on teen mothers' school retention and suggest the relevance of clinical staff in supporting teen mothers in couple relationships to continue their education.

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Legacies of Advantage and Disadvantage: The Case of Teen Mothers

Abstract: The powerful legacy of social class and racial divisions on teen mothers' long-term outcomes challenges the view that teen mothering leads to a downward spiral with negative repercussions for mothers and children.

Cited by 60 publications

References 43 publications

Building a “Better Life”

Building a “Better Life”

Teenage Childbearing, Reproductive Justice, and Infant Mental Health

Support relationships and teen mothers’ school retention at one‐year postpartum

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