Unpublished Paper
This report summarizes data from the Highlights of Official Child Neglect and Abuse Reporting 1983 study and the March 1984 Current Population Survey to examine the incidence of child maltreatment among adolescent parents in comparison to their proportion in the general population. The analysis revealed that adolescent parents aged 15-19 had an incidence rate of 76 per 1,000, which was the highest rate of all age groups. Overall, approximately eight percent of all child abuse reports involved an adolescent parent. The authors suggest that factors such as low income, low educational attainment…
Empirical study has not shown the high rates of child maltreatment anticipated for the adolescent parent, but adolescent parents do share the characteristics present disproportionately often in adult parents who maltreat their children. Most studies have focused on the adolescent mother as a child abuser. For the father, as for the mother, risk factors seem to originate in the environment, the personality, and the characteristics of the child. Pressures faced by the adolescent father appear to be greater than those faced by the adolescent mother. Nevertheless, information on adolescent…
The father's role in child development and in the etiology of child maltreatment is examined in the context of families with absent fathers. Child maltreatment is defined, including subtle forms of emotional abuse and neglect, with an emphasis on the importance of the father's function in the family, which is generally ignored in the child abuse literature. The causes and consequences of paternal neglect or absence are contrasted with those of effective fathering. Not only do fathers have an influence--positive or negative--on how their children grow up, but they can affect the mother's…
This manual describes the Teen Parent Program in Cleveland, which specializes in helping teenage parents with nurturing and coping skill problems. Many teenage parents are themselves abused or neglected as children, and they perpetuate the same upbringing on their own children. Through a self-help and volunteer support concept of service, this program helps teen parents to cope with the demands of parenthood; provides support mechanisms through a peer support group, volunteer advocates, and a crisis hotline; teaches parenting and coping skills with the hope of preventing child abuse and…
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Journal Article This paper reviews research on adolescent parenthood. Related factors such as social, economic and educational background are examined as well as psychological factors. The study makes extensive comparisons on a variety of issues. However, for a fundamental change to be made in early intercourse and childbearing, such social factors as poverty, unemployment, and racism must be taken into consideration.
