Research Paper On The Impact Of Teenage Pregnancy On An Individual’s Ability To Succeed Financially And Academically
Rose Welton wrote that approximately one million teenage women give birth each year in America. Teen parenting and teens have been linked to negative and positive perceptions. The impact of childbearing young can have on social life and relationships as well as personal well-being. Teen parents may also face obstacles that prevent them from reaching their goals. There are positive and negative factors that can affect an individual’s ability and willingness to succeed academically. Most teens do not have the financial resources to take on this responsibility. Sheryl Faber’s article Pros and Cons on Teenage Parenting explains that teens who become parents earlier than they expected “find themselves unprepared” to face this kind of disruption and challenge in their lives. Teenagers don’t have enough money to raise their child when they are young. High school teens are often too busy with school to think about their future. High school students don’t often dream about the possibility of earning a decent salary or attending college. The reality is that most teens who become parents don’t have the financial stability to support their children. More than 60% of teenage mothers were in poverty when their child was born. Teen parents are supported by their parents, but they will eventually have to apply to public assistance programs and find part-time jobs. This increases the chance that they will drop out or risk dropping out. Faber says that many high school dropouts will not have the “experience or education necessary to get a job with high pay.” Teen parents might feel strongly impacted if they drop out or do not attend college. Jonathan Klein’s Adolescent Pregnancy. Current Issues and Trends. reveals that the United States is dealing with the complicated issue of teenage pregnancies. It has a significant impact on educators, officials in government, and young people. Teen parenthood is a complicated issue, as there aren’t many resources available. Many schools cannot accommodate the needs of teen parents.
Like teenage mothers, teen dads are more likely “poor academic achievement, higher school drops, limited financial resource and decreased income potential”(Klein). According to The Teen Parent Academy, pregnant teens and young parents cannot access the same quality education as other students. Due to the absence of special needs programs for young mothers, female teens parents aged between 13 and 20 years old are more likely to drop out of school. Young parents may try to continue school even after having a baby. Young parents may not be able complete high school because of this factor. The majority of teens don’t have the basic skills to learn how to track money and get a job. Experience in similar fields and college degrees are essential for high-paying careers. Teen parents should not be financially poor and cannot provide enough for their children at an early age.
Teen parents are more susceptible to isolation than financial difficulties. Welton stated that strong emotions like anger and denial can be difficult to overcome in teen moms. Balance is hard for both their newborns’ social demands and those of society. Teen moms can face social repercussions. There is a high percentage of teenage mothers who either quit school altogether or return to school years later. Welton stated that ‘About 50 percent of teenage mothers receive their high school diplomas before they turn 22 years old. Academic failure can prevent future-oriented goals from being achieved. Another important social change is isolation. Most teens participate in extracurricular activities, and they would be forced to stop attending classes. Isolation can also be caused by long hours at work and overtime. Faber says that a teenager may feel excluded from social events due to the cost of childcare or living expenses. Seclusion can also be caused by feeling overwhelmed by the new lifestyle.
There are extraordinary outcomes to childbearing young. Cynthia Rosengard in Concepts in the Advantages or Disadvantages Teenage Childbearing Among Pregnant Adolescents states that it is important for teens to consider the timing of their childbearing. Because childbearing is not expected at an early age, teens can use the fact that they have to leave school to pursue higher education or get a diploma equivalent. Being a teenager parent has many benefits, including the ability to find motivation. According to Pros of Teenage Parenting (Cons and Pros), motivation allows teens to take time to look at their own situation and to think about their future. Many teens are not on the right path to become parents. Once they realized they would have to take care of someone else, they felt motivated to achieve their goals and set out for the future.
Opportunities can arise from a strong negative impact on early parenthood education. Although they have the option of receiving welfare, the youth must prove that they have been attending school. Teens have more access to general equivalency degrees (GED) programs. There are more schools that are accepting teenage pregnancy. The fact that young parents have more options and are able to get help, has led to a drop in teens who don’t receive their high school diploma. RebekahColey’s Adolescent motherhood and fatherhood: Recent evidence and future directions says that “studies show that teenage pregnancy does not have any effect on high school graduation or total educational attainment.” It is possible that teenage parents have less education and lower incomes while having a child. Young parents have the option to receive welfare in order to help them with their children’s lives. According to Coley,
“Though teenage mothers are more likely to use welfare and earn less in the immediate years after birth, this is compensated for by their increased earnings and employment in their later 20s.”
Public assistance is available to young parents to help them support themselves and their children. However, they are required to return the favor by going to school or finding work. A job is a great way to help parents overcome any financial problems they might have when they first become parents. With experience, education, or a change of jobs over time, many parents who were once teens will find themselves financially stable. It is not only a way to help young parents in need, but welfare can also be used as motivation or a boost for future opportunities. Coley explains that school is one of the future opportunities. These options eventually offer teens parents a better chance to not have to struggle as hard.
Being a parent at an early age can have its benefits and drawbacks. Teen parents and others around them immediately see the negatives of becoming a parent young while at school. Working hard and maturing are the best ways to be a teenager parent. A young parent can achieve success by maturing and prioritizing their responsibilities. Research shows that teenage pregnancy and childbearing in America is a complex and common problem. As such, teens should have more resources at their disposal to support them during pregnancy and after childbirth. Flexible school hours, more public assistance available in an easy way.
