Early Pregnancy Essay

Introduction Early pregnancy is a serious problem for teenagers. Teenagers who are pregnant cannot usually support the child on their own. Early pregnancy can have various possible reasons. This paper focuses on determining the possible reasons for early pregnancy among teenagers. Conflicts of the teenager Family problem/broken family Victims of child abuse and/or neglect are at increased risk for delinquency and running away. However, existing research indicates that the relationship is not inevitable, because the majority of childhood victims do not manifest these problem behaviors. Significantly less is known about connections between childhood victimization and other problem behaviors, such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol and illicit drug use and abuse, and self-destructive behavior. Current knowledge about these outcomes is sparse and only suggestive. Further research is desperately needed to document whether abused and/or neglected children are at increased risk for these adolescent problem behaviors, in comparison to control children and adolescents, and to indicate the extent or magnitude of these relationships. Despite the paucity of research, one can still speculate on some of the potential mechanisms that may link childhood victimization and adolescent problem behaviors (Lamb and Ketterlinus 140). Childhood victimization appears to increase risk for the development of a range of problems in adolescence, including delinquency and violence, running away, sexual promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, and alcohol and drug use and abuse. However, although there are extensive clinical accounts and speculations about the prevalence of these problem behaviors among adolescents who were abused or neglected in childhood, there is scant systematic evidence concerning the extent of these associations, the increased risk relative to control children, and the underlying causal mechanisms. Current knowledge is limited in quantity and type compromised by methodological problems, almost exclusively limited to vicariate relationships, and often characterized by conflicting findings (Cherry, Dillon and Rugh 104). One cause for an early pregnancy for a teenager is family problems particularly a broken family. A family is a unit that the teenager mostly depends on, seeing it in a broken statewould force the teenager to rebel and commit something drastic. A teenager who has a broken family would be open to temptations because no one reminds him/her what is right thus he/she would involve in premarital sexual activities and would be having a child at an early age. A teenager who has a broken family would want to build his/her own even if he/she is not yet ready. They would try to relive the happy times with their family through creating a new one. Financial problem/both parents have no job to earn money Parents are the ones that need to provide for all the needs of their children. To give the children their needs money is needed. Money is needed to buy clothes, food, lodging and every kind of technology that the children desire. Once the parents cannot produce money since they have no jobs then the children usually carries the load and tries to find sources of income for the family. Financial problem would push a teenager to engage in prostitution which may lead to early pregnancy for her. Financial problem would push a teenager to sell her body for some money. Relationship with friends or other people If a teenager has friend who are considered as flirty or has friends who are not good then it would lead them into early pregnancy. Having flirty friends may make the teenager imitate the behavior and have relationships with different men. This might lead into premarital sex and teenage pregnancy. Having friends who are not good might lead a teenager into doing drugs or being an alcoholic. This also might lead to premarital sex and teenage pregnancy. Summary and Conclusion One cause for an early pregnancy for a teenager is family problems particularly a broken family. A teenager who has a broken family would be open to temptations because no one reminds him/her what is right thus he/she would involve in premarital sexual activities and would be having a child at an early age. A teenager who has a broken family would want to build his/her own even if he/she is not yet ready. They would try to relive the happy times with their family through creating a new one. Another possible reason for teenage pregnancy is financial problems. Financial problem would push a teenager to engage in prostitution which may lead to early pregnancy for her. A reason for teenage pregnancy is having flirty or bad friends. If a teenager has friend who are considered as flirty or has friends who are not good then it would lead them into early pregnancy. It is the responsibility not only of a parent but of other adults to assist a child so that she will not be pregnant early. Teachers or relatives can be the ones to guide the teenager so that she can withstand her problems and refrain from being pregnant at an early age. Bibliography Cherry, Andrew., Dillon, Mary and Rugh, Douglas., Teenage pregnancy: A global view. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. Lamb, Michael & Ketterlinus, Robert., Adolescent problem behaviors: Issues and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1994.