Teenage Pregnancy: A “social problem”? Week 18, 2009.

Questions to address today: How widespread is teenage pregnancy in Britain? What is the age distribution of “teenage” mothers? Why is teenage motherhood perceived as problematic? Studies of teenage motherhood – what they tell us and what they don’t. Teenage mother’s and stigma – in their own words

Typical Teenage Mothers?

How many “teenage” mothers? Discuss in groups: If we say “teenage mothers” are young women who have children between the ages of 13 and 19, what proportion do you think fall into the following age ranges? Which age group do you think has the most teenage mothers? Under 14 14 15 16 17 18 19

Birth Statistics – the actual numbers In 2007, children born to teenage mothers accounted for 6% of all live births. (44,805 out of a total of 690,013). Under 14 24 births (0.05% of all teenage births) 14 187 births (0.4% of all teenage births) 15 928 births (2% of all teenage births) 16 3,381 births (7.5% of all teenage births) 17 8,188 births (18.3% of all teenage births) 18 13,206 births (29.5% of all teenage births) 19 18,891 births (42% of all teenage births) (Office for National Statistics. 2008. Birth Statistics. London, ONS: p. 10)

What can we learn from the statistics That teenage mothers below the age of consent i.e. under 16, make up a minority of the group. The majority of “teenage” mothers are actually 18 or 19. Does this match up to your perceptions of teenage motherhood before you looked at the statistics?

Teenage Mothers were seen as a social problem by government .... “The most important – and most difficult - aspect of what needed to be done was to reduce the positive incentives to irresponsible conduct. Young girls were tempted to become pregnant because that bought them a flat and an income from the state.” (Thatcher, 1993, p. 629)

...and still are Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (Social Exclusion Unit,1999), two targets to be hit by 2010: Halve the number of teenage pregnancies Get 60% of teenage mothers into education, employment or training.

Teenage Mothers in the Media In the main, media portrayal of teenage mothers is focused around the derogatory ‘pramface’ or the teenage ‘chav mum’, personified by Vicky Pollard from the BBC’s Little Britain...It is the minority of teenage mothers considered to be problematic who make headlines and are thus stigmatized. The stories of teenage mothers doing well are not so newsworthy. (Hadfield et al, 2007)

British Social Attitudes Survey – what do the general public think? 81 % agreed “People in Britain are far too tolerant of teenage pregnancies”. 56% agreed “One of the main causes of teenage pregnancy is the lack of morals in young people”. 71% agreed, “Teenage girls who want to get on in life don’t usually become teenage mothers”. 55% agreed, “All too often, Britain’s welfare system rewards teenage mothers”. (Clarke and Thomson, 2001)

Why is teenage motherhood a social problem? Campion (1995) outlines eight assumptions that lie behind society’s disapproval of teenage motherhood: Teenagers should not be having sex Teenagers are only children so cannot take care of children themselves. Babies should be planned. Teenage mothers are likely to be single so they are depriving the child of a father.

5. Teenage mothers are unable to be economically self reliant so they are inflicting poverty on their children and becoming a burden to the state. 6. Teenage mothers are less competent at parenting than older mothers; if they waited until they were over 19 they would make better mothers. 7. Having a baby while in your teens spells long-term disaster for the child and for the mother. 8. Teenage mothers are all the same.

What kind of evidence does government draw upon? Studies examining risk factors – which groups in society most likely to have high numbers of teenage mothers? Are teenage mothers likely to experience negative outcomes? Kiernan (1997) Backgrounds of teenage mothers. Botting et al (1998) Consequences of teenage motherhood. Hobcraft and Kiernan (2001) Correlations between child poverty, early motherhood and social exclusion. Moffitt et al (2002) Teenage childbearing compared to non-teenage childbearing.

What these studies tell us.... Identify general risk factors for someone becoming a teenage mother. Teenage mothers are more likely to experience negative outcomes than older mothers. Age is not the only factor which relates to negative outcomes for teenage mothers – deprived areas, limited labour market opportunities, low educational attainment. “...the experiences of young people are often lost in these quantitative reviews...” (Graham and McDermott, 2005)

...and what they don’t - the other side of teenage pregnancy Arai (2003) Some young women actually want to be mothers. Duncan (2007): Teen mothers often report feelings of strength and empowerment, rather than loss and diminishment, through their motherhood. In this alternative moral rationality, teenage parents are much more active, social agents who chose and create outcomes, rather than ignorant victims.

Teenage Mothers Experiences, in their own words: My PhD – Teenage Mothers’ Experiences of Stigma and Formal Support Services. Focus today upon stigma, a characteristic that makes someone... ...different from others in the category of persons available to be, and of a less desirable kind...reduced in our minds from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one... (Goffman, 1963)

Experiences of Stigma All participants said they had experienced stigma as teenage mothers from the general public, media and public services. Quite a lot of people look down on you, when I was pregnant especially. You get nasty looks, even from some people your own age…A lot of people see the bad more than the good…When they see a young mum, they’re like, ‘Well, she’s never worked, she’s on benefits’. (Katie, 20) When I was in hospital, the doctors said to be I shouldn’t be there because I was too young…Well I really didn’t want to hear stuff like that, I’d just given birth to twins for god’s sake! (Leanne, 19)

Effects of Stigma Some able to brush off negative experiences whilst others are not: Negative effects, e.g. stigmatising other teenage mothers whilst maintaining that they are the exception: [discussing her experience of a young mothers group]…I just didn’t feel like I fitted in there. I just didn’t have anything in common with them, they all seemed perfectly fine with the fact they were all on benefits…but I’m at college and stuff, making a better future for him and me. (Lynsey, 19)

Effects of Stigma (2) Alternative effects, e.g. blame the discrimination itself or take a positive interpretation Thing is, not long ago, having kids young was alright, it’s different now, I think, ‘What’s the difference with us?’. I’ve got the responsibility to look after my child and it’s not their problem, you know? (Selena, 20) I don’t let people bring me down, I just get on with it. I think I’ve grown quite a hard skin. If anything, I suppose it’s made me stronger and more determined to do well. (Leanne, 19)

Why the difference in responses to stigma? Teenage mothers are aware of their stereotype Believe the stigma is directed at the stereotype The further away from the stereotype they perceive themselves to be, the more stigmatised they felt. Values re young motherhood prior to becoming pregnant also have an impact: Teenage motherhood as normal – less likely to be negatively effected by stigma. Teenage motherhood as deviant – more likely to be negatively effected by stigma.

Summary Most “teenage” mothers are actually older teenagers, aged 18 and 19. Critiqued the conceptualisation of teenage motherhood as a social problem Different perspectives on teenage motherhood from academic literature. Teenage mothers experiences of stigma and why they are affected by this to differing degrees.