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MEANINGFUL SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR ADOLESCENT PARENTS

Adolescent Parents and Their Children Achieve Greater Positive


Outcomes When They Have Access to Meaningful Social Support

Kristal Wortham

Annotated Bibliography Assignment – SOC 331


Wilmington University
Summer 2009
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An adolescent raising a child is confronted with a multitude of physical, emotional, social


and cognitive challenges. Those challenges are not exclusive to the adolescent. Their
child could easily experience similar range of challenges. Because it is critical for
human development to occur according to the stages of growth dictated by nature,
adolescent pregnancy and parenting can deprive young parents and their offspring from
achieving pertinent benchmarks in scaffolding. These benchmarks are critical to their
social competency.

Emerging research suggests that the quality of social support available to adolescent
parents significantly contributes to the capacity to develop social competency and
parenting skills. Although there are multiple factors that influence the positive
outcomes for adolescent parents and their children, evolving research has begun to
focus on fundamental connections that exist when adolescents and their children receive
therapeutic support. Communities implemented different models to convey social
support. Yet each was remarkable in its provision of complimentary support that
yielded greater chances for positive outcomes.

Previously, the scope of research on adolescent parenting was limited to addressing the
negative outcomes and consequences. That research failed to recognize the valuable
sources that enhance outcomes for adolescent parents. Service providers who conduct
meaningful programs with respect and sensitivity for the participants improved
perceptions and outcomes. There were variables to clarify the fit between the
provisions of the program, types of support available and the adolescents’ desire to seek
support. Adolescent developed is inherently marked by psychosocial issues essential to
social survival such as identity and feelings of self-worth. Becoming a parent during
adolescence likely has an adverse impact on the successful establishment of social
competence. More importantly, adolescent parenting presents an added level of conflict
that compromises development. Thus creating a deficit due to the premature
advancement into a stage typically relegated for adulthood. The premature adjustment
to adulthood does not permit the gradual acquisition and development of judgment,
nurturance, and guidance that help them to shape their identity. However, when
adolescents have access to programs that foster social survival skills for emotional
support, proper bonding/child-interaction, age-appropriate stimulation and managing
stress, adolescents experience increased competence for parenting, self-confidence,
offspring development, academic engagement and subsequent pregnancy prevention.

Although each adolescent inherently possess different characteristics, social support that
foster processes for adapting to their needs in a given environment further enable adolescents to
develop more productive responses. These responses improve their ability to adjust to daily
demands in childcare, school work, and time management. The research suggests consistent
findings that social support is an integral component in the capacity for managing the complex
and challenging factors of adolescence and parenting.

Conceptually, social support fosters human connectedness. When adolescents feel


connected, They are able to focus on consistent and proper parenting behavior. Such behavior is
key to their children experiencing better behavior, emotional development, and cognitive growth.
Improved parenting is also perceived as a positive contribution to the development of the
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adolescent parent. This contribution is pertinent to the development of adolescent identity which
was likely disrupted during or after pregnancy. When adolescents have positive self-perception,
they are more likely to 1) continue and complete their education; and 2) refrain from subsequent
pregnancy too soon. These factors may also suggest protection from frustrations hampered by
failed academic achievement. Impaired cognitive development could underscore peer
advancement and/or acceptance. It could also lead to delayed social skills such as problem
solving. Thus adversely impacting their self-worth. Behavioral problems are often associated
with reduced self-worth. When adolescents and/or their children are vulnerable to multiple risks,
their capacity for social adjustment is compromised. Individually and collectively, these factors
significantly increase their capacity for employment success, as well as overall life prospects,
resilience and enrichment.
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References

Barratt, M. (1991). “School-age offspring of adolescent mothers: environments and


outcomes.” Family Relations, 40, 442-447.

A longitudinal study of youth was conducted to examine the influences on parenting as


well as economic, marital and educational conditions. When adolescent parents receive
Individual and collective guidance in these areas, they enrich their own lives as well as that of
their children with a greater sense of responsibility, attentiveness and encouragement. More
importantly, this study found a positive correlations between the mother’s level of educational
and employment attainment and the child’s behavior and academic achievement. This study was
a correlational study that asserted a causal relationship between the mother’s ability to improve
their own life circumstances and the impact of offspring. Finally, it could be presumed that
adolescent parents that possess the capacity and stamina to strive for self-improvement may
serve as a role model for their children in their application of structure, discipline and focus.

Bunting, L. & McAuley, C. (2004). Research Review: Teenage pregnancy and motherhood: the
contribution of support. Child and Family Social Work, 9, 207-215.

This paper emphasizes the tremendous benefit of social support for adolescent parents.
The role of social support from families, peers and partners is underscored by the reliable
provision of housing, financial and child-care assistance that affords adolescent parents the
opportunity to complete education and obtain employment. Although family structures may vary,
they consistently impact the capacity for the level of development success for adolescent parents
and their children. Most importantly, social support fulfilled the function of material aid, advice,
positive feedback, physical assistance, social participation, and discussion of private feelings.
Each of these areas of support were vital in the framework of cognitive and emotional
development of the participants. These social supports were crucial to the development of
psychosocial processes for helping adolescent parents adapt to the complex environment of
parenting while cultivating their own growth and development.

Hanna, B. (2001). Negotiating motherhood: the struggles of teenage mothers. Blackwell Science
Ltd, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(4), 456-464.

This study consisted of five teenage women who were interviewed five to six times over
the course of twelve months. This study focused on how adolescent parenting impacted the
capacity for constructing their own identities and fostering a relationship with their offspring. It
had been asserted that adolescents lack the capacity to set aside their own needs to focus on the
needs of a child. However, the study found that motherhood transformed their level of
expectations and competency. The participants felt compelled to modify their ideologies to
consider how they would meet their own needs as well as those of their offspring. Further, some
of the participants had been initially abandoned by family. However, were reunited shortly after
childbirth. This disruption in support subjected the adolescents to 1) seek support from health
professionals and 2) rely upon government entitlements for survival. These participants did not
have formal or consistent social support to model nurturance, guidance, or encouragement
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essential their own development. Or that of their offspring. The lack of social support denied
the participants of opportunities to make realistic expectations and plans for sound development
and growth. The study concluded that when adolescent parents are denied access to meaningful
support, services and/or referrals, marked disadvantages emerge that critically impair
scaffolding, growth and development.

Turner, R.J., Grindstaff, C. F. & Phillips, N. (1990). Social support and outcome in teenage
pregnancy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 31 (March): 43-57.

The negative consequences of adolescent pregnancy are well reported. However, it is


asserted that somewhere in the large population of adolescent pregnancies, there must be some
individuals that do not succumb to these negative circumstances. This paper discusses the
findings that contributed to improved outcomes for adolescent parents. This paper also sheds
light on a previous belief that maternal age was a direct indication of the scope of psychosocial
disadvantages that adolescent parents and their children would face. However, after interviewing
268 adolescents during and after pregnancy, the research findings suggested that social and
emotional conditions were the driving factor in psychosocial development. Participants in this
study were from diverse economic backgrounds. This study examined the influence of strong,
diverse social support in the expansion of the capacity for managing vulnerability to stress and
disease. It concluded that conceptually, social support suggests access to stability formed by
meaningful social bonds and networks. This perceived sense of connection provides critical
support that acts as a buffer between adverse circumstances and responses generated by those
circumstances. Most notably, access to support made a significant difference in the presence or
absence of depression as well as pregnancy complications. It was concluded that socioeconomic
factors had no significant bearing on the capacity for psychological adjustment. Instead, when
the adolescent felt confident about the availability of social support, they were less inclined to
experience depression. Thus enabling them to focus on a healthy pregnancy and ultimately be
fully engaged with their child.

Sadler, L. , et al. (2007). Promising outcomes in teen mothers enrolled in a school-based parent
support program and child care center. Journal of School Health, Vol. 77 (March 2007)
(3).

This study examined sixty-five adolescent mothers who participated in a parent-support


program. Fifty-three of the mothers had children enrolled in a school-based child care setting.
While children of the remaining twelve mothers were cared for by family members. This study
asserts that a parent support program where high-quality programming exists for the adolescent
and the child is a key model for parenting and stimulating care. More importantly, it provides
focused programming, social support and learning for the adolescent parent and child. This
provides comprehensive programming aids in the complex transition from adolescent to
parenting by demonstrating developmentally appropriate support and guidance. This
dramatically influenced the high school enrollment and graduation rate of 91% and reduced the
number of subsequent pregnancies. Most importantly, the adolescent parents became
increasingly responsive to parenting cues for responsiveness to distress and cognitive growth. It
is worthwhile to note that despite the availability of a comparative group of adolescents without
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participating in a school-based support group, the clarity of the findings and variables in this
study provide promising patterns for service delivery.

Dubow, E.F. & Luster, T. (1990). Adjustment of children born to teenage mothers: the
contribution of risk and protective factors. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52
(May): 393-404.

There is a direct correlation between the quality of life for adolescent mothers and their
children. Exposure to risk significantly influences the capacity for adjustment. And
subsequently impacts the quality of life. A subset of 721 children and their mothers was used to
examine risk factors and the assertion of vulnerability to difficulties. This study identified
development, socioeconomic conditions, maternal education, fatherly presence or absence and
residential environment to cognitive and behavioral outcomes. If several of these factors create a
stressful environment for children and their mothers, there is an increased risk for adverse
cognitive and behavioral outcomes. However, if certain protective factors exist such as high
level of intellect as well as cognitive and emotional development may help adolescent parents
formulate the capacity for problem-solving. These skills may help to manage the risks
associated with adolescent parenting. Thus expanding the capacity for managing stressful events
and ultimately achieving social success. Achieving social success remains vitally important to
the development of adolescent identity. The findings suggest that children whose mothers were
demonstrated high levels of cognitive intellect may experience less academic frustration. And
are thus more resilient.

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