Multidimensional risk profiles on teen parenthood: evidence from Britain in the 1970s
Russell, S.T.
Sociological Spectrum the Official Journal of the Mid-South Sociological Association 18(4): 423-447
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0273-2173 PMID: 12322038 DOI: 10.1080/02732173.1998.9982206Document Number: 280984
Research on the antecedents of teen parenthood has most often focused upon the role of the family of origin in creating the contexts within which teen parenthood occurs. A smaller body of work, however, has investigated the multidimensional character of teenagers' lives which extends beyond the family. The results of such exploration can help to provide a more complete understanding of the complexity of teenagers' lives and the varied factors which place them at risk of becoming young parents. The multidimensional character of teenagers' lives is studied together with the risk of becoming a parent among British youths during the 1970s. Data from the National Child Development Study on a British cohort which grew up during the 1970s are examined to assess the degree to which family characteristics from the teenage years mediate and are mediated by physical development, psychosocial characteristics, academic performance and attitudes, and future plans. Study findings suggest the existence of reciprocal relationships between adolescents' families, schools, and peer networks. Multidimensional risk factors show little variation by gender, while risk factors differ according to the marital status of the teen when he or she became a parent.