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…
Other
This report describes a 4-day NCCAN-coordinated meeting of representatives of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and their grantees, NCCAN, the Office of Human Development Services Discretionary Grants Management Branch, the National Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and consultants and representatives of various coalition groups dealing with issues in teen parenting and child abuse. Issues discussed include perspectives for the 1990s; Federal government priorities for grantees' projects; conference goals; reports from workgroups; adolescent life and pregnancy…
These standards, issued by the Child Welfare League of America, present guidelines for best practice with pregnant adolescents and young parents. The standards describe comprehensive community-based service delivery systems, social work services, health services, and residential services. Recommendations are provided for comprehensive service systems, roles of the child welfare agency, social work services needed during pregnancy, marriage counseling, adoption services, social work services for young parents and their child, medical care, foster family care, and group living facilities. The…
red dot icon
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.
