Saving Our Daughters: Impact and Challenges of Teen Pregnancy on High School Completion and College Attendance

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Albany State University, Albany Ga

Second Presenter's Institution

N/A

Third Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fourth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fifth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Location

Poster Session (Harborside)

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Family & Community

Relevance

Our teen daughters are in danger primarily because of the lack of appropriate parental involvement from fathers and mothers, guidance from our schools, community and churches. From fatherless house- holds, risk factors, and consequences we need answers and a plan of intervention to save our daughters. How do we prevent our daughters from becoming teen mothers, running away, ending up on the streets as a prostitute, living in poverty or even joining a gang? The answer to this phenomenon is more involvement. The data reveals that in most cases early involvement is a determining factor---- if our daughters grow up with positive self- esteem, if they are academically successful and gain the emotional confidence to succeed in life then early pregnancy may be avoided.

Brief Program Description

This session examines the impact of teen pregnancy on a group of 20 girls (between the ages of 15-18 years old) and how their life was affected academically, socially and economically. Specifically this presentation will discuss: (1) the need for parental guidance during the teen years, (2) the impact of pregnancy on high school completion and college attendance; and (3) the social economic factors associated with teen motherhood.

Summary

My workshop would focus on pregnant teen girls between the ages of 15-19 years old growing up and their experiences. Specific attention will be given to the importance of parental roles, and the pressure (both socially, emotionally and economically) placed on the teen mother and child.

Particular attention will be given to the following;

  • Risk factors
  • Birth control education
  • Glamorization
  • Identification of goals and high school activities.
  • Parental Involvement.
  • Economic factors
  • Social and psychological development issues.

Some theories and models I will use are: (1) the family systems model, (2) Erik Erikson’s adolescent development stage of gaining identity vs. confusion, and (3) Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory.

Evidence

Data for my research was gathered from a focus group of 20 young mothers from various backgrounds. Each mother was asked a set of questions.

Also evidence based results from studies performed by noted psychologist Kevin Leman, the author of Have a New Teenager by Friday and Meg Meeker author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: Ten Secrets Every Father Should Know will be shared. Both of these books present data and case studies on some “best practices” for positive teen development and behavior.

Finally, in relationship to my findings, I will also share with workshop participants, research from various journals such as the Journal of Marriage and Family, the Journal of Social Work Education, Journal of Children and Youths Services and the Journal of Early Adolescence and the Journal of Family Relationships.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Ivan Page is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Albany State University in Albany, Ga. At Albany State University he teaches courses in family development, social policy theory, community organization and legal issues in social work. He also teaches a Marriage and Family course at Clayton State University. Over the years Dr. Page has taught sociology, social work, psychology, and interdisciplinary courses to a diverse student body at Clayton State University, Devry University, Spelman College and Georgia Perimeter College.

Dr. Page is the author of Dads Matter: Me and the Girls, Challenges, Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs of Raising Daughters; Poetry an Expression of the Deeper Soul and Essential Writings Across Time . He has been quoted in Ending the Blame Game, Single Black Fathers On Relationship, in the E-Book Why We Fall Out of Love, in Ebony Magazine: “He Said, She Said”, in “Whatta Man, Whatta Man, Whatta Mighty Good Man”; and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “From Diapers to Diploma”. He has published the following articles, Issues and Answers: Bad Managers Hire Bad Managers; Torn From Within: The African American Family Epidemic: A Woman Perspective; and Torn From Within: The African American Family Epidemic.

Dr. Page has presented at the 2015 Youth at Risk Conference on father and daughter relationship titled---- Engaging a Father’s Role in the Social and Psychological Development of our Daughters.

Keyword Descriptors

Teen Pregnancy, Glamorization, Social development, Economic development, Psychological development, Risk factors

Presentation Year

2019

Start Date

3-5-2019 4:00 PM

End Date

3-5-2019 5:30 PM

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Mar 5th, 4:00 PM Mar 5th, 5:30 PM

Saving Our Daughters: Impact and Challenges of Teen Pregnancy on High School Completion and College Attendance

Poster Session (Harborside)

This session examines the impact of teen pregnancy on a group of 20 girls (between the ages of 15-18 years old) and how their life was affected academically, socially and economically. Specifically this presentation will discuss: (1) the need for parental guidance during the teen years, (2) the impact of pregnancy on high school completion and college attendance; and (3) the social economic factors associated with teen motherhood.