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Adolescent Parenthood.

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[discuss] themes central to understanding adolescent parenthood / the concept of timing of transitions (in this case the timing of adolescent parenthood) is the organizing feature of much of the work on this topic / first present a brief discussion of this concept / next . . . turn to the more specific conceptual frameworks that have been invoked when describing the effects of teenage parenthood upon various family members / the life course of the teenage mother is reviewed from 2 perspectives—the consequences of adolescent parenthood for the young mother vis-á-vis work, education, and family, as well as the psychological response to becoming a mother / the life course of the children of teenage mothers is discussed next / the impact of the birth of a child upon the adolescent's family is reviewed, with a focus on the female kin who often participate in child care and who coparent / concludes with a brief discussion of policy implications of these findings (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

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... Teen parents often face an unexpected pregnancy; the responsibilities and challenges of parenthood and coparenting, the coordination of coparenting in separate households; and the risk that they will become disengaged from their coparenting partners (Florsheim et al., 2003). Moreover, the teen parents' stresses are compounded because they are typically limited in emotional development and interpersonal skills (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Marsiglio & Cohan, 1997). Thus the challenges of teen parenthood should be considered from a developmental as well as sociocultural perspective. ...
... Although teen fathers are committed to being involved with their children, they appear to lack the parenting skills to positively engage with their children and face several negative individual and contextual barriers, perhaps similar to teen mothers (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). Findings with low-income fathers suggest that teen fathers are invested in their children, regardless of residence (Fitzgerald & McKelvey, 2005). ...
... It is often assumed that unengaged fathers, or those not present in their children's lives, choose to disengage from their children. It is equally possible that mothers restrict fathers' access to children and cut ties from fathers when romantic relations end (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Florsheim, Moore, et al., 2003). Given the limited longitudinal data and limited sampling designs of the extant literature, drawing a conclusion in either direction is premature. ...
... clave: embarazo en adolescencia, relación sexual, relaciones familiares Meade, Kershaw, & Ickovics, 2008; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). No entanto, é necessário considerar que a gravidez durante a adolescência não é causada pela pobreza, mas pelas características associadas ao baixo nível socioeconômico, em que há uma combinação de múltiplos fatores, dos quais se destacam a baixa escolarização e a falta de especialização profi ssional (Diniz & Koller, 2011; Duncan, 2007). ...
... Nesse sentido, discute-se que a gravidez durante a adolescência surgiria naqueles adolescentes que avaliariam o seu futuro como pouco promissor e, por isso, não haveria motivos para evitarem a exposição ao risco. Essa hipótese é reforçada por se constatar que as adolescentes que engravidam são, tendencialmente, aquelas que provêm de piores níveis socioeconômicos, com mais experiências de insucesso escolar e menos especialização profi ssional (Aquino et al., 2003; Duncan, 2007; Imamura et al., 2007; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002; Scaramella et al., 1998 ), o que constituiria uma perspectiva de futuro menos aliciante. ...
... Esses dados revelariam que a idade de iniciação sexual não seria, necessariamente, um indicador de risco para a ocorrência de gravidez (Scaramella et al., 1998). Alguns estudos indicam que a idade da iniciação sexual se associa a outras características psicossociais, como: qualidade das relações sociais (Belsky, Steinberg, & Draper, 1991; Simpson & Belsky, 2008), ambições acadêmicas (Meade et al., 2008; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002) e presença de indicadores de risco, como comportamentos sexuais desprotegidos, consumo de cigarro, álcool e outras drogas (Boyce, Gallupe, & Fergus, 2008; Imamura et al., 2007). A infl uência das relações sociais e afetivas na gravidez adolescente, em particular as familiares, foi atestada em inúmeros estudos (Benson, 2004; East et al., 2006; Dias & Aquino, 2006; Meade et al., 2008). ...
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El presente artículo tiene como propósito investigar las características asociadas al embarazo durante la adolescencia en una población de adolescentes brasileños de baja renta (N = 452) con experiencia de embarazo (n = 226) y sin esta experiencia (n = 226). El promedio de edad de los participantes fue de 16,86 años (DE = 1,35) y el 64% era del sexo femenino. Resultados del análisis multivariado revelaron que el embarazo a lo largo de la adolescencia se asoció a: vivir con la pareja; utilización de la píldora anticonceptiva; inicio sexual precoz; consumo de bebidas alcohólicas; y menor división de tareas domésticas en la familia. El embarazo durante la adolescencia tiene tendencia a surgir ante un conjunto de variables que expresan la vulnerabilidad del contexto de desarrollo del adolescente. Esta podrá constituir una importante información para intervenciones dirigidas a la población afectada y un aporte a la prevención del embarazo durante la adolescencia.
... Em alguns casos, a confirmação da gravidez foi encarada como algo de positivo, enquanto em outros se assistiu à dificuldade de lidar com ela. Tal como descrito na literatura (Canavarro & Pereira, 2001; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002), a descoberta da gravidez tendeu a gerar sentimentos contraditórios e confusos, nos quais se misturaram alegria, felicidade, com medo, angústia e incerteza em relação ao futuro. A presença dos sentimentos colidentes pode ser justificada pelas implicações que trazem para o futuro de vida da adolescente, os seus projectos, mas também a reacção dos outros e do grupo de pares. ...
... As adolescentes que engravidaram tenderam a abandonar a escola num momento anterior à gravidez (Figueiredo, 2001; Figueiredo et al., 2004). Além disso, estavam inseridas num emprego precário (Breheny & Stephens, 2007; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). Esse facto indicaria que a gravidez poderia ter surgido pela pouca realização em determinadas áreas consideradas centrais nessa fase do desenvol vimento, nomeadamente o sucesso escolar (Canavarro & Pereira, 2001; Heilborn et al., 2002). ...
... Esse facto indicaria que a gravidez poderia ter surgido pela pouca realização em determinadas áreas consideradas centrais nessa fase do desenvol vimento, nomeadamente o sucesso escolar (Canavarro & Pereira, 2001; Heilborn et al., 2002). A realização escolar é descrita como uma variável associada à prevenção da gravidez adolescente (Levandowski & Piccinini, 2004; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002; Woodword, Horwood, & Fergusson, 2001). A relação entre sucesso escolar e gravidez parece estar associada, precisamente, à visão de vida que os adolescentes com bom desempenho académico constroem em que a gravidez passa a ser encarada como um obstáculo para a vida que pretendem ter (Almeida, Aquino, & Barros, 2006). ...
Article
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The present study aimed to investigate sociodemographic characteristics among pregnant adolescent in Brazil (n=4) and Portugal (n=4). It used a qualitative design with multiple-case study (N=8). In addition, it employed a semi-structured interview in order to explore some domains of adolescent’s life. The present study will present some of these results: context of pregnancy, couple’s relationship, current life, school attendance and plans for the future. The interviews were content analysed by an inter- judges agreement. According to the interviews, it was observed that in both countries pregnancy tends to appear on a specific social context which is characterized by school absence and few perspectives for the future. Besides, all the pregnancies occurred on established relationships. The pregnancy was also described as an event which allows some changes in life like the wish to come back to school. The participants of the study, either from Brazil or Portugal, had similar reports. Characterized by poor school attendance as well as by a lack of opportunities for the future, the precarious context of development was identified as transcultural. Although, we consider that the present research allow identify some of the characteristics of adolescents who become pregnant. By this means, public policies could be reinforced and improved. Keywords: Adolescent pregnancy, Development context, Scholarship, Social relationships
... In recent years there has been growing public and professional concern about the effects of teenage pregnancy and parenthood on young women and their offspring (for reviews, see Brooks-Gunn and Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Coley and Chase-Lansdale, 1998). Considerable evidence now exists to suggest that the offspring of teenage mothers are at an increased risk of a range of adverse social, cognitive and behavioural outcomes (Brooks-Gunn and Furstenberg, ...
... 1986; Furstenberg et al., 1987;Brooks-Gunn and Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Fergusson and Woodward, 1999). In particular, pre-school children born to teenage mothers have been shown to have higher rates of language and cognitive problems than children born to older mothers (Hardy et al., 1978;Broman, 1981;Wadsworth et al., 1984;Furstenberg et al., 1987;Hofferth, 1987;Moore and Snyder, 1991;Moore et al. 1997). ...
... While evidence exists to suggest that children born to teenage mothers are at greater risk of delayed language development, relatively little is known about why children born to teenage mothers fare less well than children born to older mothers (Brooks-Gunn and Chase-Lansdale, 1995). This issue is particularly relevant given evidence suggesting that considerable individual variability exists in the developmental outcomes of children born to teenage mothers (Luster and Vandenbelt, 1999). ...
Article
An Erratum has been published for this article in Infant and Child Development 10(4) 2001, 241. This paper compares the language development of pre-school children born to teenage (n=22) and comparison mothers (n=20) and examines the extent to which differences in language development can be explained by social background, child and parenting factors. Mothers and children were assessed at home using a range of measures, including a structured interview, the language scales of the Child Development Inventory, the HOME Inventory, and videotaped mother-child interaction. Results showed that children of teenage mothers perform significantly poorer than children of comparison mothers on measures of expressive language and language comprehension. Subsequent analyses showed that these differences are largely explained by differences in the parenting behaviour of teenage and comparison mothers. Specifically, maternal verbal stimulation and intrusiveness accounted for the relationship between teenage motherhood and children's poorer language comprehension, while maternal intrusiveness and involvement with the child account for the relationship between teenage motherhood and children's poorer expressive language development. These findings highlight the importance of early mother–child interaction for children's language development. Copyright
... In recent years there has been growing public, professional, and scientific concern about the effects of teenage pregnancy on young women and their offspring (for reviews see Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 1998;Furstenberg, Brooks-Gunn, & Chase-Lansdale, 1989;Hechtman, 1989). As part of this concern, interest has focused on the extent to which early pregnancy and childbirth might disrupt the education and future life opportunities of young women. ...
... As part of this concern, interest has focused on the extent to which early pregnancy and childbirth might disrupt the education and future life opportunities of young women. Growing evidence now exists to suggest that, compared to women who do not become pregnant early, teenage mothers are more likely to experience a range of personal and social disadvantages, including early school leaving, educational underachievement, socioeconomic disadvantage, welfare dependence, single parenthood, and marital instability (Black & DeBlassie, 1985;Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Butler, 1992;Card & Wise, 1978;Furstenberg et al., 1989;Furstenberg, Brooks-Gunn, & Morgan, 1987;Hardy, Welcher, Stanley, & Dallas, 1978;Hoffman, Foster, & Furstenberg, 1993;Klepinger, Lundberg, & Plotnick, 1995;Maynard, 1995;Moore, 1978;Moore, Myers, Morrison, Nord, Brown, & Edmonston, 1993;Upchurch & Mc-Carthy, 1990). For example, a 12-year follow-up study of 2,795 women by Klepinger et al. (1995) found that young women who gave birth to their first child before the age of 20 years completed fewer years of schooling than young women who did not give birth during this time. ...
... An alternative explanation is that the association between teenage pregnancy and educational underachievement is partially or wholly noncausal and arises from selection processes associated with teenage pregnancy risk (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 1998;Furstenberg, 1991;Furstenberg et al., 1989). Specifically, it has been well documented that teenage pregnancy is a selective process that is more common among young women from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and young women with a history of early-onset behavior problems (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Card & Wise, 1978;Chase-Lansdale & Brooks-Gunn, 1994;Furstenberg et al., 1987;Geronimus & Korenman, 1992;Hotz, McElroy, & Sanders, 1997;Kovacs, Krol, & Voti, 1994;Quinton, Pickles, Maughan, & Rutter, 1993;. ...
Article
This paper examines the relationship between teenage pregnancy and educational underachievement in a cohort of 520 young women studied from birth to 21 years. Results showed that young women who became pregnant by the age of 18 years were at increased risk of poor achievement in the national School Certificate examinations, of leaving school without qualifications, and of failing to complete their sixth-form year at high school. In addition, pregnant teenagers had lower rates of participation in tertiary education and training than their nonpregnant peers. Subsequent analyses showed that the links between teenage pregnancy and tertiary educational participation were largely noncausal and reflected the earlier academic ability, behavior, and family circumstances of young women who became pregnant. In contrast, antecedent child and family factors only partially explained associations between teenage pregnancy and high school participation and achievement. After adjustment for these factors, significant associations remained between teenage pregnancy and educational achievement at high school. An examination of the diverse life histories of young women who became pregnant revealed that for the majority of young women, pregnancy occurred after they had left school before finishing. These findings suggest that rates of teenage pregnancy might be elevated among young women who leave school early, rather than rates of early school leaving being elevated among young women who become pregnant during their teenage years.
... Moreover, early childbearing is no longer a normative developmental transition in industrialized countries as more women delay childbirth to pursue jobs and higher education (e.g., a woman's average age of first birth in the United States is 26; Mathews & Hamilton, 2009). Consequently, the developmental timing of firsttime motherhood during adolescence likely exacerbates the associated stressors of these two major transitions and increases the likelihood of poor outcomes for young mothers (Brooks-Gunn & ChaseLansdale, 1995; Carney-Crompton & Tan, 2002; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). Studies of adolescent mothers have corroborated this finding across a host of maternal outcomes. ...
... Even though there has been substantial work examining the influence of adolescent pregnancy on the developmental outcomes of adolescent mothers (for a review, see Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 1998; Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002), few studies have examined the intergenerational influence of adolescent mothers' educational attainment on their children's achievement trajectories over time. Moreover, much of the literature has been unable to avoid the selection bias inherent in small-scale studies or in data collected only on adolescent mothers. ...
Article
Although substantial work has examined the influence of adolescent pregnancy on mothers’ developmental outcomes, few studies have investigated the influence of adolescent mothers’ educational attainment on their children's achievement. This article examined the reading and math achievement trajectories of children born to adolescent and nonadolescent mothers with various levels of educational attainment. Results demonstrate that higher levels of maternal education predicted children's higher initial achievement at kindergarten and growth in achievement through eighth grade. The achievement of children with adolescent mothers, however, never reaches parity with the achievement of their peers with nonadolescent mothers. Race also predicted achievement differences. Black and Latino children of adolescent mothers were at greater risk for underachievement.
... Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children andFamilies 2003, 2005;Stanley et al. 2005). A large body of research examines the link between relationship patterns and socioeconomic disadvantage (Bumpass, Sweet, & Cherlin 1991;Bennett et al. 1995;Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale 1995;Brown 2000;Lerman 2002;Carlson, McLanahan, & England 2004;Schoen et al. 2009). Further, existing research highlights the significant barriers to marriage among disadvantaged populations (Lichter et al. 2003;Edin et al. 2004;Edin & Kefalas 2005). ...
... The handful of studies that exist do not fully address or focus on how relationship beliefs are shaped by parental resources (e.g., educational attainment and family structure). Given the literature on disadvantage (Bumpass, Sweet, & Cherlin 1991;Bennett et al. 1995;Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale 1995;Brown 2000;Lerman 2002;Carlson et al. 2004;Schoen et al. 2009) and findings from prior chapters, I expect that relationship beliefs will be associated with parental resources. ...
... However, regardless of the source of these concerns, strong evidence now exists to suggest that an early transition to parenthood is associated with wide-ranging negative outcomes for young mothers and their children. In particular, compared to older mothers, the life course outcomes of teenage mothers tend to be characterized by fewer life opportunities and higher rates of psychosocial disadvantage, including leaving school early, educational underachievement, prolonged welfare dependence, decreased marital opportunities, less competent and more punitive parenting, maternal depression, and greater exposure to partner violence (Bardone, Moffitt, Caspi, Dickson, & Silva, 1996;Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Colletta, 1983;Furstenberg, Brooks-Gunn, & Morgan, 1987;Klepinger, Lundberg, & Plotnick, 1995;Woodward & Fergusson, in press). Children born to teenage mothers have also been shown to be at increased risk for a range of adverse developmental outcomes, with these outcomes spanning higher rates of emotional and behavioral disorders, language delay, learning problems, educational underachievement, delinquency, and adolescent drug and alcohol problems (Brooks-Gunn, Guo, & Furstenberg, 1993;Keown, Woodward, & Field, in press;Moore, Morrison, & Greene, 1997). ...
... A second important reason for developing a better understanding of the risk factors and life processes associated with early childbearing relates to the need for improved treatment and prevention efforts. Despite debates about the extent to which teenage parenthood represents a signifi-cant social problem (Furstenberg, 1991), there is now growing agreement that, over and above the effects of selection factors, an early transition to parenthood is likely to place further demands on the limited social and psychological resources of these high-risk women, which in turn may even further constrain their life choices and ability to parent their children (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Nagin et al., 1997). These findings highlight the need to develop more effective prevention and treatment programs to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy and improve the life chances of these women and their offspring. ...
Article
Data gathered over the course of a 20-year longitudinal study of 533 New Zealand women were used to (a) describe the extent and timing of pregnancies within the cohort up to age 20, and (b) examine the extent to which the risk of an early pregnancy was related to a range of social background, family, individual, and peer relationship factors measured over the course of childhood and adolescence. Results showed that by age 20, nearly a quarter of the sample had been pregnant at least once, with the majority of first pregnancies occurring between the ages of 17 and 20 years. The profile of those at greatest risk of a teenage pregnancy (<20 years) was that of an early-maturing girl with conduct problems who had been reared in a family environment characterized by parental instability and maternal role models of young single motherhood. As young adolescents, these girls were characterized by high rates of sexual risk-taking and deviant peer involvement. Exposure to social and individual adversity during both childhood and adolescence made independent contributions to an individual's risk of an early pregnancy. These findings were most consistent with a life course developmental model of the etiology of teenage pregnancy. Implications for teenage pregnancy prevention are discussed.
... Whereas such findings may suggest young parents' inadequacy in parenting, studies have also shown variability across individuals: various psychosocial and environmental factors have been identified that make healthy parenting more challenging for young parents. For example, adolescent parents are less likely to be knowledgeable about children's developmental milestones and parenting strategies, leading them to hold unrealistic expectations about their children and exhibit potentially abusive parenting styles (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Letourneau et al., 2004). Teen mothers have also been shown to experience higher levels of depressive symptoms than adult mothers. ...
Article
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Purpose Children of young parents are at elevated risk for child abuse and neglect due to myriad challenges. Despite the dual need for parenting support and mental health support, most literature and programs separate these and do not address maltreated parenting youths’ intergenerational context. The current study explores parenting and mental health needs as intertwined, uplifting experiences of young adult mothers with child maltreatment histories, professionals serving them, and mothers’ own caregivers. Method Through a community-engaged research process, this grounded theory study was co-conceptualized and conducted through a university-community-based organization partnership. We conducted in-depth interviews with 23 participants: nine young, maltreated mothers aged 18–25 (M = 20.9) years, 14 professionals and two caregivers. Data were collected in the community and analyzed using grounded theory methods. We transcribed each interview and analyzed the transcripts using a structured process of open, focus, axial, and selective/theoretical coding. Rigor was enhanced through several strategies including reflexivity and member checking. Results Grounded theory analysis produced a detailed model of the process of accessing and receiving mental health and parenting support among young, maltreated mothers, including (1) Reckoning with the Impact of Childhood and Adolescent Trauma on Mental Health and Parenting; (2) Reaching Out; (3) Receiving Parenting Support; (4) Receiving Mental Health Support; and (5) Seeking a Change. Conclusions Findings support a comprehensive approach for supporting young parents in improving the trajectories of their families through integrated approaches to parenting and mental health intervention.
... Coping with pregnancy in adolescence can cause the young mother, who is already vulnerable, to doubt her abilities in the face of a challenge of this magnitude. Moreover, young women tend to perceive their infants as more difficult and to have unrealistic expectations about childraising (Brooks-Gunn & Furstenberg, 1986;Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). ...
Article
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Introduction Teenage pregnancy is a national health priority. Having to deal with pregnancy during adolescence can cause the mother, at an already vulnerable age, to doubt her maternal capacity to cope with a challenge of this magnitude. The teenage mother’s assessment of her maternal self-efficacy is associated with her performance, in other words, the way she relates and responds to the needs of her infant, which has major implications for the latter’s development. Objective To study the association between personal (depressive symptoms, self-esteem) and environmental characteristics (social support, partner satisfaction) and those of the infant (problems with infant care, the infants’s temperament) and the perception of maternal self-efficacy (PME) in adolescent mothers. Method Cross-sectional study. The following instruments were applied: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Post-partum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R), and Maternal Efficacy Questionnaire to 120 mothers under 20 during the first six months postpartum. Bivariate lineal regression and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used for the data analysis. Results When adjusting for other variables, symptoms of depression and difficult infant temperament were associated with lower PME. Social support was only associated with increased PME in the bivariate analysis. Discussion and conclusion These findings contribute to the limited literature on the subject and provide elements for designing strategies to improve adolescent mothers’ PME to encourage behaviors that are more relevant and sensitive to infants’ physical and emotional needs.
... Research shows that mothers' childhood abuse history, homeless experiences, and drug use are associated with their parenting behaviors and interaction with children (Crawford, Trotter, Hartshorn, & Whitbeck, 2011;Lang et al., 1999;Seltmann & Wright, 2013;Slesnick, Feng, Brakenhoff, & Brigham, 2014). Moreover, younger mothers experience greater parenting stress compared to older mothers (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995), and parenting stress is associated with increased psychological control perceived by children (Putnick et al., 2008). Finally, this study also sought to examine the association between group membership and Fam. ...
Article
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This study examined the effects of a family systems therapy (Ecologically-Based Family Therapy [EBFT]) on the co-occurring trajectory of mothers' substance use and psychological control, and its association with children's problem behaviors. Participants included 183 mothers with a substance use disorder who had at least one biological child in their care. Mothers were randomly assigned to one of the three intervention conditions: EBFT-home, n = 62; EBFT-office, n = 61; or Women's Health Education, n = 60. Participants were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months post-baseline. A dual-trajectory class growth analysis identified three groups of mothers in regard to their change trajectories. The majority of the mothers exhibited a synchronous decrease in substance use and psychological control (n = 107). In all, 46 mothers exhibited a synchronous increase in substance use and psychological control. For the remaining 30 mothers, substance use and psychological control remained stable. Mothers in the family therapy condition were more likely to show reduced substance use and psychological control compared to mothers in the control condition. Moreover, children with mothers who showed decreased substance use and psychological control exhibited lower levels of problem behaviors compared to children with mothers showing increased substance use and psychological control. The findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of family systems therapy, EBFT, in treating mothers' substance use, improving parenting behaviors, and subsequently improving child behavioral outcomes.
... Estas expectativas, por tanto, pueden tener una influencia negativa sobre las interacciones. Las jóvenes madres y sus hijos entran en patrones irregulares de interacción afectiva; esto quiere decir que pueden predominar los afectos negativos o que las señales afectivas pueden ser mal interpretadas por la díada (tal como fue revisado por Gunn & Chase Lansdale, 1994; Luster & Mittelstaedt, 1993; Musick, 1994; Osofsky, Hann & Peebles, 1993). ...
Article
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Se presenta un estudio de caso de dos madres adolescentes de la misma edad (17 años), con el cual se intenta explorar las representaciones maternas y las interacciones madre-bebe, es decir, las distintas maneras de “estar con” el bebe. El estudio pretende discutir que la maternidad adolescente en sí misma no es un factor de riesgo, sino que otras variables moderadoras como la calidad de las redes de sostenimiento y la función reflexiva con que cada joven madre cuenta. Las representaciones maternas fueron evaluadas a través de una entrevista semi-estructurada sobre representaciones maternas (Traverso, 2006) y las interacciones madre-bebe fueron medidas y filmadas a través del Mother-Infant Global-Ratings para dos y cuatro meses (Murray, Fiori-Cowley & Cooper, 1996).---A case study of two adolescent mothers of the same age is presented (17 years old) with which it is intended to explore the maternal representations and mother-baby interactions, that is, the different ways of “being with” a baby. The study pretends to discuss that it is not adolescent motherhood in itself a risk factor, but other mediating variables such as supportnetwork and the reflective function with which each young mother counts. Maternal representations were assessed through a semi-structured interview about maternal representations (Traverso, 2006) and the mother-infant interactions were measured and filmed through the Mother-Infant Global Ratings for two and four months (Murray, Fiori-Cowley & Cooper, 1996).
... This lower level of verbal interaction may be a very important influential factor for explaining the differences in cognitive development that are consistently present in children of teenage mothers when compared to their peers of non-teenage mothers (Broman as cited in Brooks-Gunn & Chase Lansdale, 1994;Pomerlau, Scuccimarri, & Malcuit, 2003). Another factor influencing the lower level of verbal interaction may be the mothers' emotional state. ...
Research
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Tesis que compara un grupo de madres adolescentes de sectores urbano marginales de Lima con un grupo de madres no adolescentes en relación a sus representaciones maternas y a la calidad de sus interacciones con sus infantes
... Estas expectativas, por tanto, pueden tener una influencia negativa sobre las interacciones. Las jóvenes madres y sus hijos entran en patrones irregulares de interacción afectiva, lo que quiere decir que pueden predominar los afectos negativos o que las señales afectivas pueden ser mal interpretadas por la díada (Brooks-Gunn & Chase Lansdale, 1994;Luster & Mittelstaedt, 1993;Musick, 1994;Osofsky, Hann & Peebles, 1993). ...
Article
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Se realizó un programa de intervención dirigido a promover un vínculo saludable entre madres adolescentes y sus bebes, con 26 madres entre 15 y 19 años de edad y con un hijo o hija entre 0 y 6 meses de edad de una zona pobre de Lima, Perú. La intervención se realizó en cuatro grupos y cada uno tuvo diez sesiones. Se evaluó la interacción entre madre y bebe, la interpretación que realiza la madre de los afectos, y las representaciones maternales (descripción del bebe, de sí misma como mamá y de la relación entre los dos), antes y después del programa. Se realizaron las mismas evaluaciones con un grupo comparativo de 18 jóvenes con las mismas características. En este artículo se presentan y discuten los resultados obtenidos en ambas evaluaciones.
... Surprisingly, older mothers reported less parental empathy than did younger mothers in our sample (age range of 16 to 20 years at first birth), which was unexpected given evidence that young parents display less empathy in interactions with their children than do adult parents (Baranowski, Schilmoeller, & Higgins, 1990). We speculate that a negative relation between older age and co-residence with grandmothers may explain this finding, as very young mothers may have more support from immediate family (Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). However, this hypothesis requires further exploration and warrants future study. ...
... Dentro de la literatura psicológica, encontramos dos visiones de la maternidad en adolescentes. Tradicionalmente esta es considerada un evento que dificulta el logro de las tareas de desarrollo por las consecuencias a nivel médico, psicológico y psicosocial sobre las adolescentes, sus hijos y la relación entre ambos (Brooks-Gunn & Chase Lansdale, 1994;Koniak-Griffin & Turner-Pluta, 2001;Luster & Mittelstaedt, 1993;Osofsky, Hann & Peebles, 1993;Zabin & Hayward, 1993). ...
Article
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A partir de los resultados de dos investigaciones cualitativas, se analiza el significado que adquiere la maternidad temprana en los sectores en situación de pobreza. Uno de los estudios exploró el significado que otorgan a la maternidad 25 madres de 18 a 20 años que tuvieron un embarazo durante la adolescencia. La otra investigación estudió las representaciones sociales en torno a las características de la maternidad temprana en 24 adolescentes hombres y mujeres no padres para conocer las particularidades de la cultura donde se desenvuelven las jóvenes madres. Los resultados evidencian que la maternidad constituye un momento de cambio positivo por la mayoría de las jóvenes y que cumple un rol estructurador de su identidad. Se discuten las implicancias de estos resultados para la prevención primaria y secundaria.
... Surprisingly, older mothers reported less parental empathy than did younger mothers in our sample (age range of 16 to 20 years at first birth), which was unexpected given evidence that young parents display less empathy in interactions with their children than do adult parents (Baranowski, Schilmoeller, & Higgins, 1990). We speculate that a negative relation between older age and co-residence with grandmothers may explain this finding, as very young mothers may have more support from immediate family (Moore & Brooks-Gunn, 2002). However, this hypothesis requires further exploration and warrants future study. ...
Article
Infant neglect is the form of child maltreatment that occurs most often, yet has been least amenable to prevention. A maternal history of childhood maltreatment is a potent risk factor for child neglect, yet most maltreated mothers break intergenerational cycles of child abuse and neglect. Little is known about what protective factors support discontinuity in intergenerational transmission. This study examined whether certain factors (positive childhood care, older maternal age, social support) buffer intergenerational risk for neglect among the infants of young mothers, a population at high risk of being victimized. For young mothers in the sample (<21 years at birth; n=447), the effect of a maternal history was assessed separately for different maltreatment types according to data on substantiated reports from Child Protective Services. Early risk for neglect was assessed using maternal self-report of parenting empathy. The results revealed that both infants and their mothers experienced neglect more often than any other maltreatment type. However, approximately 77% of maltreated mothers broke the cycle with their infants (<30 months). Maternal age moderated the relation between a maternal history of neglect and infant neglect, and social support moderated the relation between childhood neglect and maternal empathy. Neglected mothers had considerably higher levels of parenting empathy when they had frequent access to social support than when they had less frequent support, whereas the protective effect of social support was not nearly as strong for nonmaltreated mothers. Study findings highlight resilience in parenting despite risk for infant neglect, but underscore the context specificity of protective processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
... The concept of Supportive mothering is based on a vast literature (Bornstein, 2002) and detailed in this Special Issue (Fuligni & Brooks-Gunn, 2013). Directive mothering would be characterized by moderate scores on sensitivity and negativity and coupled with directive behavior (akin to "no nonsense" parents; Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). Harsh mothering would be seen in mothers who are very negative and forceful in presenting their agenda for play rather than the child's (Berlin et al., 2009;Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1996). ...
Article
SYNOPSIS Objective . This article identifies patterns of mothering in low-income families from three ethnic groups and explores whether those patterns yield similar associations with child outcomes. Design . A person-centered within-group approach was used to examine observed patterns of mothering among European American (n = 740), African American (n = 604), and Mexican American (n = 322) low-income mothers and their 1-year-olds who were participating in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. Cluster analytic techniques were employed using four dimensions of mothering coded from videotapes: supportiveness, directiveness/intrusiveness, negative regard, and detachment. Results . Three similar mothering patterns were seen within each ethnic group: Supportive (48%–52%), Directive (29%–30%), and Detached (14%–19%). Although the patterns of mothering were similar, mean scores on discrete mothering behaviors differed across ethnic groups. A fourth pattern—Harsh—was found among European American and African American mothers and was characterized by high levels of negativity (5%–7%). Associations between mothering patterns and three child outcomes at ages 2 and 3 years (cognitive test score, emotional regulation, and engagement of mother) validated cluster solutions and revealed some variation in prediction across ethnic groups. However, Supportive mothering was optimal in all three ethnic groups. Conclusions . Within-group analyses permitted identification of ethnically meaningful mothering patterns. Across the ethnic groups, within-group structures of mothering were similar with comparable predictive power for child outcomes despite group differences in the magnitudes of mean scores for constructs such as supportiveness and directiveness.
... History reveals that most teenagers who became pregnant a decade or two ago were married by the time the child was born (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995;Furstenberg, 1991;Nathanson, 1991). Current trends show that eight out of ten teenagers giving birth are unmarried (Hamilton, Ventura, Martin, & Sutton, 2005) and many are not ready for the emotional, psychological, and financial responsibilities and challenges of parenthood (Martin, Hamilton, Ventura, Menacher, & Park, 2002). ...
... The differences in the cognitive, educational and behavioral outcomes of children of teen mothers versus non-teenage mothers have been primarily explained in broad terms using global factors such as the age of the mother, the educational level of the mother, socioeconomic status (SES) and income (Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 1998). Teen mothers have been shown to be just as warm, but less verbal, less sensitive and less responsive to their infants than older mothers (Culp et al., 1988), to provide a less stimulating home environment (Moore et al., 1997), to perceive their infants as being more difficult and to have unrealistic expectations (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). ...
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Teenage pregnancy is an issue receiving a growing amount of attention in the United States, with approximately one million children born to teenage mothers annually. Teen mothers tend to function less effectively in numerous realms than their peers who delay child-rearing, and the children of teen mothers are at greater risk of school failure. In the present study we surveyed 493 mothers (22% teen mothers) in order to compare the home literacy environments provided to preschoolers by teenage versus non-teenage mothers. In general, the teen mothers provided a home literacy environment that afforded their children fewer literacy experiences. The implications of these findings for the development of oral language and early reading-related skills are discussed.
... People transition out of the emerging adult phase and form a coherent sense of self through acceptance of responsibility for oneself and one's decisions, for example, by establishing financial independence (Arnett, 2007). Because of the developmental focus on self-exploration and the lack of stability characteristic of this age group, emerging adult mothers may be less equipped than adults for the challenges of parenting (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). Alternatively, assuming a parental role may propel an individual out of emerging adulthood. ...
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The nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth cohort data set was used to compare parenting behaviors of adolescent mothers (<19 years old), emerging adult mothers (19–25 years old), and adult mothers (>25 years old) when their children were 2 years old. Regression models controlling for socioeconomic differences indicate that adolescent mothers exhibited less supportiveness, sensitivity, and positive regard than emerging adult mothers, who exhibited less than adults. Adolescent and emerging adult mothers reported comparable frequencies of spanking and use of time out but significantly more than adults. Age differences in coparenting were largely accounted for by different rates of father coresidence. These finding suggest that age differences in parenting behaviors are not solely explained by sociodemographic factors, and that mothers who gave birth during the emerging adult period are a develop-mentally distinct group; overall, they are not as prepared for optimal parenting as older mothers but are better equipped than adolescent mothers.
... Do subgroups differ in the severity of their depressive symptoms, the social contexts in which they reside, or individual characteristics of mothers or children? Stress and coping models provide one way to understand this variability (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Landsdale, 1995;McLoyd, 1990). They imply that, when depressive symptoms are high, parenting quality reflects the interplay of the contextual demand mothers face and their resources for coping with that demand (Belsky, 1984;McLoyd, 1990). ...
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This study examined subgroups of depressed mothers who differ on their intrusive and withdrawn behavior. It explored the stability of these differences, why they occur, and their role in children's early developmental risk. With 6- to 24-month data from 1,364 dyads, latent class analysis identified 3 stable patterns of early parenting among mothers consistently above clinical thresholds on depressive symptoms (n = 159): 2 low-functioning patterns (high intrusive, high intrusive/high withdrawn) and 1 high-functioning pattern (low intrusive/low withdrawn). Low-functioning depressed mothers were no more depressed than high-functioning depressed mothers, but lacked personal resources and were in low-support, high-stress contexts. Differences in their children's development over the first 2 years appeared to depend primarily on demographic risk. By 36 months, however, stable differences in depressed mothers' patterns of intrusive and withdrawn parenting-independent of demographic risk-predicted cognitive and language development, the quality of the relationship with the mother (attachment, responsiveness to mothers), and socioemotional competence. Children of high-functioning depressed mothers were not significantly different from children of nondepressed mothers in cognitive and language development and in attachment and responsiveness to the mother, but displayed more behavior problems and less social competence. Findings reveal stable differences in parenting within a sample of depressed mothers, support a stress and coping perspective on why these differences occur, and demonstrate their potential role in determining the risk children of depressed mothers face over the first 3 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
... It should be noted, how ever , that teen mothers who live in healthy, supportive environments where they themselves ar e nurtured and where they receive both tangible and intangible support from family, friends, and community resources often foster positive home environments and have healthy relationships with thei r children ( Osofsky, 1996) . Factors that have been foun d to influence the positive outcomes of teen mother s and their children include completing high schoo l and moving into the workforce and having fewe r subsequent pregnancies, the support of family mem bers and a significant other, and positive role model s in their lives whom they can emulate (Gunn & Chase-Landsdale, 1995) . The presence of thes e individual and combined factors can often trigger adaptive parenting situations for the youngest o f mothers . ...
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Reviews adaptive and maladaptive parenting and discusses various factors that lead to positive outcomes, including effective social networks, social support, reciprocity in early relationships, and other circumstances that contribute to resilience. The authors also consider conditions that lead to negative outcomes, including substance abuse, exposure to violence, teen pregnancy, and parental psychopathology. In addition, they highlight a perspective on preventive intervention that focuses on programmatic directions that may protect a child and family and that can lead to more positive outcomes, even under conditions of significant adversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
... The differences in the cognitive, educational and behavioral outcomes of children of teen mothers versus non-teenage mothers have been primarily explained in broad terms using global factors such as the age of the mother, the educational level of the mother, socioeconomic status (SES) and income (Coley & Chase-Lansdale, 1998). Teen mothers have been shown to be just as warm, but less verbal, less sensitive and less responsive to their infants than older mothers (Culp et al., 1988), to provide a less stimulating home environment (Moore et al., 1997), to perceive their infants as being more difficult and to have unrealistic expectations (Brooks-Gunn & Chase-Lansdale, 1995). The transition to parenting can be a stressful time for all parents, but for the teen mother this transition may be complicated by their typically deprived background and potentially poor support networks (Cowan & Cowan, 1992). ...
Article
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Teenage pregnancy is an issue receiving a growing amount of attention in the United States, with approximately one million children born to teenage mothers annually. Teen mothers tend to func-tion less effectively in numerous realms than their peers who delay child-rearing, and the children of teen mothers are at greater risk of school failure. In the present study we surveyed 493 mothers (22% teen mothers) in order to compare the home literacy environments provided to preschoolers by teenage versus non-teenage mothers. In general, the teen mothers provided a home literacy envi-ronment that afforded their children fewer literacy experiences. The implications of these findings for the development of oral language and early reading-related skills are discussed.
... Además, son madres que habitualmente se muestran menos sensibles a las señales de sus bebés y parecen tener más dificultades para regular sus propios estados emocionales durante la interacción con sus hijos e hijas -especialmente cuando éstos son de temperamento difícil-que las madres adultas. Estos rasgos específicos que tienden a observarse en las actuaciones de las madres adolescentes explican que, en términos generales, las interacciones que estas chicas mantienen con sus hijos e hijas parezcan desarrollarse en un clima de bastante frialdad y escasa sintonía madre-hijo (Brooks-Gunn yChase-Lansdale, 1995;East y Felice, 1996). ...
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RESUMEN Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar las diferencias en las interacciones que, durante una situación de comida, mantienen un grupo de madres adolescentes y otro de madres adultas con sus bebés de 8-12 meses de edad. Para ello, estudiamos 93 díadas madre-bebé (41 adolescentes y 52 adultas) en 4 dimensiones observacionales: (1) la calidez emocional; (2) la sensibilidad materna; (3) la estimulación del desarrollo lingüístico y de la autonomía; y (4) la organización la situación de comida. Los resultados parecen indicar que las madres adultas se muestran más cálidas y más sensibles durante la interacción. Parecen ser estas madres quienes aprovechan en mayor medida la situación para estimular aspectos relacionados con el lenguaje y la autonomía de sus bebés. Además, el grupo de madres adultas suele dotar de mayor organización a la situación de comida. Los resultados nos permiten concluir que se hace necesaria una intervención ajustada a la realidad que circunda al hecho de convertirse en madre durante la adolescencia. PALABRAS CLAVES Interacciones madres-bebés, maternidad adolescente, calidez afectiva, sensibilidad, desarrollo del lenguaje, desarrollo de la autonomía, estructuración de la situación. ABSTRACT This work analyzes the differences in the interactions of a group of adolescent mothers and another one of adult mothers with their babies of 8-12 months of age during feeding time. In this way, we studied 93 mother-baby dyads (41 adolescents and 52 adults) in 4 observational dimensions: (1) the emotional warm; (2) maternal sensitivity; (3) linguistic development and autonomy stimulation; and (4) feeding time organization. The results indicate that the adult mothers are warmer and more sensible during the interaction than adolescent mothers. Data show that adult mothers who take advantage of in greater measurement the situation to stimulate aspects related to the language and the autonomy of their babies. In addition, the group of adult mothers usually equips from greater the feeding time organization. This results point out that it is necessary a intervention adjust to the fact of becoming mother during the adolescent age. KEY WORDS Mother-children interactions, adolescent maternity, emotional warm, sensibility, linguistic development, autonomy development, structure of situation.
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Las personas cuentan con la capacidad de hacer frente a las adversidades y salir fortalecidas, a esto se le llama “resiliencia”; estas adversidades deben ser significativas para el individuo, generarle la necesidad de tomar una decisión para fortalecerse; a estas situaciones se las llama “crisis”. El objetivo fue determinar la relación entre la percepción de la maternidad con la crisis y la resiliencia en el embarazo adolescente. La muestra constó de 394 mujeres de entre 14 y 68 años, de las cuales 194 indicaron haber vivido un embarazo entre los 12 y los 26 años. Se utilizó la Escala de Potencial Resiliente, la Escala de Creencias sobre la Maternidad y el cuestionario evaluativo de la concepción del embarazo como crisis. Los resultados permiten concluir que la manera en la que las mujeres conciben la maternidad no influye de manera significativa en que el evento sea una crisis, o si serán resilientes.
Chapter
This rich and well-researched volume comes in the wake of intense national interest in young children. Leading scholars from diverse disciplines use relevant data from the Commonwealth Survey of Parents with Young Children to present new information about the lives of families with very young children - how parents spend their time with their children, the economic and social challenges they face, and the supports they receive to improve their children's health and development. Such a broad portrait based on nationally representative date has not been attempted before. Drawing on their extensive expertise and research in the issues being addressed, the authors examine and elaborate on the survey findings. They synthesize the major themes emerging from the data and consider the family, community, and policy implications to frame and interpret the results. What emerges is a picture of the complex forces that influence families and child-rearing in the early years.
Chapter
This rich and well-researched volume comes in the wake of intense national interest in young children. Leading scholars from diverse disciplines use relevant data from the Commonwealth Survey of Parents with Young Children to present new information about the lives of families with very young children - how parents spend their time with their children, the economic and social challenges they face, and the supports they receive to improve their children's health and development. Such a broad portrait based on nationally representative date has not been attempted before. Drawing on their extensive expertise and research in the issues being addressed, the authors examine and elaborate on the survey findings. They synthesize the major themes emerging from the data and consider the family, community, and policy implications to frame and interpret the results. What emerges is a picture of the complex forces that influence families and child-rearing in the early years.
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El presente artículo de reflexión teórica tiene como objetivo explorar los aspectos involucrados en el hecho de convertirse en abuelo o abuela, su función de cuidadora familiar y sus redes de apoyo (relaciones afectivas o laborales) desde una perspectiva ecológica. En Colombia, las familias valoran el rol de abuela cuidadora, particularmente en la conformación de familias extendidas, pues se convierte en un recurso social para las personas (en cuanto al cuidado de los niños) y una fuente de apoyo emocional en situaciones difíciles (separación, divorcio, maternidad adolescente, viudez, desplazamiento forzado). Además, de que se favorece un mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos económicos, por un trabajo no remunerado. En cuanto al rol de la abuela como cuidadora y las ya mencionadas redes, en las cuales está involucrada o puede llegar a acceder, se destaca una posible sobrecarga en sus labores y el estrés debido al cuidado que brindan como red de apoyo familiar, aunque este hecho también puede estar relacionado con aislamiento o falta de otras redes de apoyo que cuiden de ella. Finalmente, se presentan algunas posibilidades de investigación e intervención para identificar y favorecer las redes de apoyo de las abuelas.
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In early childhood sensitive mother-child-interactions are presumed to be especially beneficial to children’s language, cognitive and socio-emotional development. Sensitivity is defined as a behaviour that reacts and refers to a child’s needs and interests in an appropriate way (Ainsworth et al., 1974). International studies identified characteristics of the child as well as of the mother and the context as relevant for sensitivity. Considering the child, it is essential to take its active role in the interaction into account to accommodate the dyadic nature of sensitivity. Hence, this article addresses the question which general and context specific variables are relevant to sensitive interaction behaviour within a German context by means of representative data from the National Educational Panel Study. For this purpose, semi-standardized play situations of mothers with their seven-month-old children were videotaped and analysed. Afterwards, the relevant conditions of sensitive mother-child-interaction were identified by bivariate and multivariate methods. On average, sensitive interaction behaviour ranged on a medium level. Socio-economic context variables (e.g. poverty in income and educational background of the mother) proved to be relevant predictors. Other characteristics of the mother, such as age and experienced psychological strain as well as the everyday perceived temperament of the child, showed merely small to no correlations. The child behaviour in the interaction turned out to be most relevant for sensitivity. Thereby, these results emphasize the active role of the child within the interaction and basically confirm international findings.
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Adolescence is a unique and challenging period of growth, change and possible turmoil as a young person transitions towards adulthood. The capacity to provide quality parenting at this time is likely to be compromised because the teenage mother simultaneously experiences the challenges of adolescence and first time parenthood. Research suggests that teenage mothers are significantly less supportive, more detached, more intrusive, and more negative / hostile, when compared to older mothers, and may be less able to provide a stimulating learning environment. Sing & Grow is a national early intervention music therapy project provided by Playgroup Associations and funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The project provides 10 weekly group music therapy sessions to parent and child (aged 0 to 3 years) dyads from families in communities identified as marginal as a result of various circumstances, including adolescent and young parenthood. Outcomes of clinical programmes conducted to date show that the central provision of music has been successful in promoting a range of non-musical parenting outcomes for adolescent and young mothers. This includes observed increases in their repertory of skills in relating to and interacting with their child in more gentle and nurturing ways.
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Adolescent parenthood and child maltreatment rank as two of this country’s leading contemporary social problems. Both problems seem, thus far, to be impervious to effective control, despite formidable efforts at prevention and intervention over the past quarter-century (Children’s Defense Fund, 1996; National Research Council, 1993; Weatherley, 1991). In addition to their shared status as social morbidities, the two conditions converge in some families. Because few adolescents are ready to independently assume the responsibilities of childrearing, teen mothers, particularly those with limited social and economic resources, are vulnerable to conditions that can escalate into child maltreatment. Thus, a chapter focusing on disadvantaged adolescent mothers is appropriate in a volume on child abuse.
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Given the negative developmental risks associated with adolescent motherhood, it is important to examine the sociocultural context of adolescent mothers' lives to identify those most at risk for poor outcomes. Our goals were to identify profiles of Mexican-origin pregnant adolescents' cultural orientations and their attitudes toward teen pregnancy, and to investigate how these profiles were linked to adolescents' pregnancy intentions, family resources, and short-term family, educational, and parenting outcomes. With a sample of 205 Mexican-origin adolescent mothers, we identified three profiles based on cultural orientations and attitudes toward teen pregnancy: Bicultural-Moderate Attitudes, Acculturated-Moderate Attitudes, and Enculturated-Low Attitudes. The results indicated that enculturated pregnant adolescents had the least favorable attitudes toward teen pregnancy, and the lowest levels of family income, pregnancy intentions, pregnancy support, and educational expectations compared to acculturated and bicultural pregnant adolescents; acculturated adolescents (with the highest family income and high levels of pregnancy support) had the highest levels of parenting efficacy 10 months postpartum. Our findings suggest that enculturated adolescent mothers (with less positive attitudes toward teen pregnancy) may benefit from educational support programs and enculturated and bicultural adolescent mothers (with moderately positive attitudes toward teen pregnancy) may benefit from programs to increase parenting efficacy. Such targeted interventions may, in turn, reduce the likelihood of adolescent mothers experiencing negative educational and parenting outcomes.
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francaisLes interactions de l'enfant avec ses proches et les pratiques parentales jouent un role crucial dans le developpement de la regulation des emotions. De faibles competences parentales, comme on en observe parfois chez les meres adolescentes, pourraient donc constituer un important facteur de risque. Afin de mieux cerner le developpement de la regulation des emotions chez les nourrissons de meres adolescentes, nous avons compare leurs expressions d'emotion et leurs comportements d'autoregulation a ceux de bebes de meres adultes lors de seances d'interaction face a face et lorsqu'ils sont seuls a 4 et 10 mois. Les nourrissons des meres adolescentes presentent des reactions affectives plus intenses a 4 mois que ceux des meres adultes, mais ils sont moins nombreux a manifester des emotions negatives lorsqu'ils sont seuls a 10 mois, ce qui pourrait constituer un indice d'inhibition des affects. Des differences apparaissent aussi dans les comportements de regulation utilises et dans leurs effets. EnglishParent-child interactions and parenting practices are crucial for the development of emotion regulation. Poor parenting competence, as sometimes seen in teenage mothers, could then constitute an important risk factor. To further investigate the development of emotion regulation in infants of teenage mothers, we observed their emotional expressions and regulatory behaviors during face to face interaction and when left alone at 4 and 10 months of age and compared them to infants of adult mothers. Infants of teenage mothers showed more intense reactions at 4 months than infants of adult mothers but less negative reactions when alone at 10 months, a possible sign of emotion inhibition. Differences were also found in the regulatory behaviors used and in their effects.
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Child maltreatment and teen pregnancy are serious social problems facing America today. In 2010, 3.3 million referrals of child abuse and neglect resulted in approximately 461,297 confirmed victims. Teen pregnancy has similarly been a cause of serious political and social concern. Although the teen birth rate has declined overall during the last half century, the United States still has a higher teen birth rate than other industrialized countries. Young maternal age is generally considered a risk factor for child maltreatment. What is not known is what separates adolescent mothers who maltreat their children and those who do not. This study compares the ecological correlates of adolescent mothers who maltreat their children to adolescent mothers who do not maltreat. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
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This study examines the role of perceived self‐efficacy in mediating relations between mothers’ parenting behavior and variables such as maternal employment status, depressive symptoms, parenting stress, and child behavior problems. Subjects were 93 employed and 95 nonemployed, single, black mothers of a 3–5‐year‐old child who were current and former welfare recipients. Using linear structural relations modeling (LISREL), the findings support a model whereby (a) the more behavior problems the child is perceived to have, the more depressive symptoms the mother feels; (b) the more depressive symptoms the mother feels, the more likely she is to rate herself high in parenting stress; (c) the more depressive symptoms and parenting stress the mother experiences, the lower is the mother's estimate of her self‐efficacy; and (d) the lower the mother's self‐efficacy, the less competent is her parenting. The findings for employment status are similar; i.e., maternal employment predicted a trajectory leading to somewhat better parenting. In addition, child behavior problems were associated with less competent parenting both directly and indirectly through their effect on parenting stress and self‐efficacy. These results suggest that self‐efficacy has import as a mediator of the relations between maternal parenting and other psychosocial variables. There is no evidence, based on these findings, that employment in the low‐wage market is harmful either for single black mothers or their preschool children. However, job availability and an increase in the minimum wage are important policy considerations.
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The current study examined the longitudinal relations of socio-cultural stressors (i.e., acculturative stressors, enculturative stressors, ethnic discrimination) and Mexican-origin adolescent mothers' depressive symptoms and risk-taking behaviors. Utilizing an idiographic and nomothetic approach, we conducted lagged analyses to examine how individuals' fluctuations in stressors predicted subsequent adjustment. Further, we investigated potential threshold effects by examining if the impact of fluctuations in stressors differed at varying levels of stressors. Mexican-origin adolescent females (N = 184) participated in yearly in-home assessments across 5 years and reported on their experiences of acculturative and enculturative stressors, ethnic discrimination, depressive symptoms, and risk-taking behaviors. Findings revealed that within-person fluctuations in acculturative stressors and, to a lesser extent, perceived discrimination related to youths' depressive symptoms. For risk-taking behaviors, however, only within-person fluctuations in enculturative stressors emerged as significant. Further, a threshold effect emerged in the link between enculturative stressors and risk-taking behaviors, suggesting that fluctuations in enculturative stressors predicted changes in risk-taking behaviors at high levels of enculturative stressors but not low levels. Our findings highlight the differential relations between socio-cultural stressors and adolescent females' adjustment and suggest that prevention programs aimed at reducing depressive symptoms should attend to any degree of change in socio-cultural stressors, whereas programs focused on risk-taking behaviors should be especially attuned to levels of enculturative stress.
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Resumo da Dissertação de Mestrado em Família e Sistemas Sociais do Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Coimbra (Portugal) - ‘Apoio e Outros Afectos na Construção da Maternidade na Adolescência: Um Estudo Exploratório no Concelho de Coimbra’ Orientador: José Henrique Dias / Coorientadora: Inês Jongenelen
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The present study examined the relationship between the use of physical discipline and subsequent child behavior problems and aggressive behaviors in a sample of 69 low-income, high-risk African American mothers who had children between the ages of 3 and 25 months at the start of the study. Physical discipline use was considered in conjunction with maternal demographic characteristics, maternal psychological functioning, parenting processes, and children's characteristics. Research Findings: The majority (54%) of parents in this sample reported using physical discipline. Physical discipline use was significantly correlated with parenting stress, child age, and child behavior problems. Child gender, low levels of maternal warmth, and the use of physical discipline measured at Time 1 predicted problem behaviors approximately 1 year later. Practice or Policy: Practitioners interested in implementing programs to reduce maternal use of physical discipline need to include mothers of very young children in their efforts. Moreover, efforts to positively influence parenting practices and resulting child outcomes should address parenting stress levels.
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This study examined parenting knowledge among Mexican-origin adolescent mothers (N = 191; Mage = 16.26 years), family contextual factors associated with adolescents' parenting knowledge, and toddlers' (Mage = 2.01 years) subsequent developmental outcomes. Data came from home interviews and direct child assessments. Adolescents both underestimated and overestimated children's developmental timing, and showed differences in their knowledge of specific developmental domains. Instrumental support from mother figures was positively linked to adolescents' knowledge accuracy, whereas emotional support was negatively related to adolescents' knowledge confidence. Furthermore, whereas mother figures' autonomy granting was positively linked to knowledge confidence, psychological control was associated with less accurate adolescent parenting knowledge. Toddlers of adolescents with more accurate knowledge showed positive developmental functioning. Intervention implications are discussed.
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Cell phones afford a set of distinctive advantages for gathering information on daily patterns of behavior, establishing relationships, maintaining contact, and providing professional expertise to participants in a wide array of programs, including intervention, treatment, and service. This paper presents new findings about innovative applications of cell phone technology in research on daily patterns of behavior with adolescent mothers, findings relative to feasibility and utility, and presents recommendations for the applicability of its use in early care and education.
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Are preventive early childhood interventions effective in improving home environments, as assessed with the HOME inventory (Caldwell & Bradley, 1984)? The authors traced 48 published articles, presenting 56 intervention effects (N = 7,350). The combined effect size on the HOME total score was d = 0.20 (p < .001). Randomized intervention studies were effective, but the combined effect size was limited (d = 0.13). Nonrandomized studies showed inflated effects (d = 0.58). Interventions with middle-class, non-adolescent parents showed higher effect sizes than interventions with low-SES or adolescent samples. Effective interventions used a moderate number of sessions in a limited period and were home-based. Learning Materials, Involvement, and Responsivity showed significant intervention effects. Families in better living conditions profited more from parent education (the Matthew effect).
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This study examined the relationship between a teen mother's perceptions of nurturance from her mother and father and her mental health and parenting attitudes. One-hundred and thirty-eight urban, primarily African American adolescent mothers were interviewed. Multivariate results indicate that teen mothers who felt nurtured by their mothers had greater empathy toward their own children, and those who felt nurtured by their fathers reported greater parenting satisfaction. These findings support the importance of interventions that include supporting nurturing parenting of adolescent mothers by their mothers and their fathers.
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Teenage parents are commonly characterized as poor, minority, single mothers with low levels of education and problematic parenting behaviors. The role of teenage childbearing per se in mothers' parenting behaviors, however, is not well understood. This study addressed links between maternal childbearing age and parenting behaviors among 1,702 low-income mothers participating in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. The sample includes White (n = 704), Black (n = 595), and Latina (n = 403) mothers. One third of the sample were teenage childbearers (younger than 19 years at the birth of the target child). When the children were 14 months old, mothers and children were videotaped in their home during a 10-min free play assessment. This study examined four key parenting behaviors coded from this assessment: supportiveness, detachment, intrusiveness, and negative regard/hostility. Findings indicate that teenage childbearers were significantly less supportive, more detached, more intrusive, and more negative/hostile with their infants than older childbearers. Associations held above and beyond the effects of race/ethnicity, education, family type, family income, and child sex and age for supportiveness, detachment, and intrusiveness (but not negative regard/hostility). These findings provide the most definitive evidence to date of differences between teenage and older mothers' parenting behaviors, above and beyond demographic co-factors. Within-group analyses revealed different patterns of association in the three racial/ethnic groups. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.
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The cognitive and behavioral status at age six years of 185 children of adolescent mothers (60.5% boys) were assessed using the mother (CBCL) and teacher (TRF) report forms of the Child Behavior Checklist and the Bracken Basic Concepts Scale. There was evidence for impairment in all areas of functioning. More than half of the sample exceeded the borderline clinical cutoff (T = 60) on either the CBCL or TRF Total Problem score, and nearly half the sample had Bracken scores that were more than 1 SD below the normative mean. Only 26.9% of the children were in the normal range on all three measures. These results are discussed in terms of implications for social work practice with children and adolescent mother families.
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We tested a hypothesis about the usefulness of attachment theory in aiding our understanding of substance use and related problem behaviors among a high-risk group of women. The data were from an ongoing longitudinal study of pregnant and parenting adolescents, and were collected via interview at 5.5 and 6 years postpartum (n = 232). At enrollment, the respondents were an average age of 16. Using regressing analysis (OLS and logistic), differences in attachment security were found to be related to substance use and related problem behaviors and attachment differences in behavior were found to be partially mediated by psychological distress.
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This report presents national birth rates for teenagers for 1991-98 and the percent change, 1991-98. State-specific teenage birth rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin for 1991 and 1998 and the percent change, 1991 to 1998, are also presented. Tabular and graphical descriptions of the trends in teenage birth rates for the Nation and each State, by age group, race, and Hispanic origin of the mother, are discussed. Birth rates for teenagers 15-19 years declined nationally between 1991 and 1998 for all age and race and Hispanic origin populations, with the steepest declines recorded for black teenagers. State-specific rates fell significantly in all States for ages 15-19 years; declines ranged from 10 to 38 percent. In general, rates by State fell more for younger than for older teenagers, ranging by State from 10 to 46 percent for ages 15-17 years. Statistically significant reductions for older teenagers ranged from 3 to 39 percent. Reductions by State were largest for black teenagers 15-19 years, with rates falling 30 percent or more in 15 States. Among the factors accounting for these declines are decreased sexual activity, increases in condom use, and the adoption of the implant and injectable contraceptives.
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Objectives—This report presents preliminary 2014 data on U.S. births. Births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented. Methods—Data are based on 99.71% of 2014 births. Records for the few states with less than 100% of records received are weighted to independent control counts of all births received in state vital statistics offices in 2014. Comparisons are made with final 2013 data and earlier years. Results—The 2014 preliminary number of U.S. births was 3,985,924, an increase of 1% from 2013. The number of births increased for women in all race and Hispanic origin groups in 2014 except for American Indian or Alaska Native women, for whom births decreased. The general fertility rate was 62.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, up 1% from 2013, and the first increase in the fertility rate since 2007. The birth rate for teenagers aged 15–19 decreased 9% in 2014 to 24.2 births per 1,000 women, yet another historic low for the nation; rates decreased for both younger and older teenagers to record lows. The birth rate for women in their early 20s declined to 79.0 births per 1,000 women, another record low. Birth rates for women in their 30s and early 40s increased in 2014. The nonmarital birth rate declined 1% in 2014, to 44.0 births per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15–44, dropping for six consecutive years. The cesarean delivery rate was down 2%, and the low-risk cesarean delivery rate was down 3%, in 2014. The preterm birth rate (based on a change in measure) was down in 2014 to 9.57%. The low birthweight rate was essentially unchanged in 2014 at 8.00%. © 2015, National Center for Health Statistics. All rights reserved.
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