CXC

SOCIAL STUDIES
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

2016
CANDIDATE NAME: Theresa Golding
CANDIDATE NUMBER:
CENTRE NAME: MONTEGO BAY E-LEARNING
CENTRE NUMBER: 100574
TERRITORY: JAMAICA
TITLE: AN INVESTIGATION INTO TEENAGE PREGNANCY- ITS LEVEL
AND CAUSES IN MY COMMUNITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement
Introduction
Statement of Problem
Reasons for Selecting the Area of Research
Method of Data Collection

Data Collection Instrument

Procedure for Data Collection

Presentation of Data
Analysis and Interpretation of Data

Statement of Findings
Recommendations and Implementation Strategy

Bibliography
Appendix

Acknowledgement
First and foremost, I would love to give gratitude to god for
providing me with the knowledge and strength to complete this
School Based Assessment; also I would like to thank all the
participants in the survey, those who responded, friends and
family, for helping me with the completion of this project.
Secondly, I would like to thank the residents of Cornwall Courts
who gave their support and time in answering the questionnaires
and giving the data needed to be presented.
Lastly, I would like to thank my teacher for assisting me with the
presentation for the School Based Assessment and giving
additional facts and figures.

Introduction
This project is based on the causes and impacts of teenage
pregnancy in the community of Cornwall Courts. It informs on how
prevalent teenage pregnancy is in the community, the main
cause, effects and possible solutions to this issue, how people feel
about teenage pregnancy and how it has impacted them. In order
to proceed with these investigations I have conducted a research.

Statement of Problem
What are the causes and impacts of teenage pregnancy and to
what extent does the problem exists in the community of Cornwall
Courts?

Reasons for selecting Area of Research

The problem of teenage pregnancy appears to be prevalent in my
community; the researcher chose the community of Cornwall
Courts to conduct this research because the community is highly
populated and I have recognized that majority of young girls in
the community is dropping out of school due to pregnancy. By
conducting this research, I hope to explore the factors
contributing to teenage pregnancy and the extent to which
teenagers are affected.

Method of Investigation
In order to effectively carry out this research, the Questionnaire
was chosen as a more suitable method for collecting data.
The advantages of questionnaires
1. Practical
2. Large amounts of information can be collected from a large
number of people in a short period of time and in a relatively
cost effective way
3. Can be carried out by the researcher or by any number of
people with limited affect to its validity and reliability
4. The results of the questionnaires can usually be quickly and
easily quantified by either a researcher or through the use of
a software package
5. Can be analyzed more scientifically and objectively than
other forms of research
6. When data has been quantified, it can be used to compare
and contrast other research and may be used to measure
change
7. Positivists believe that quantitative data can be used to
create new theories and/or test existing hypotheses.

Data Collection Instrument

Name: Theresa Golding
Contact Information: theresagolding98@gmail.com
Copy of Questionnaire
Survey of the extent teenage pregnancy exist among girls in
the community of Cornwall Courts
Dear Villager,
This is a survey being carried out in the highly populated
community of Cornwall Courts to determine the causes and
impacts of teenage pregnancy in my community. This study
is being conducted as an assignment for a Social Studies
Project I am doing at present.
You are being advised to answer the following questions
honestly and truthfully. Since you do not have to write your
names anywhere no one will ever know who answered in a
particular way. This is not a test. There are no right or wrong
answers. Some of the questions can be answered by a check
in a box like this . Specific instructions are given where
necessary.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely,
D. Johnson

Question
1. What is your Gender?

Male
Female
2. How long have you been living in the community of
Cornwall Courts?

.
3. What age group do you belong to?

ages 13 - 15
ages 16 18
ages 19 21
21 and older
4. What is your occupation?

..
5. What kind of family are you apart of?

Single parent Family

Nuclear Family
Extended Family
Sibling Household
6. On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest, how would you
rate the level of teenage pregnancy in your community?

7. What do you think contributes to teenage pregnancy?

Peer Pressure
Rape
Low self- esteem
Lack of supervision
8. Do you have any children?

Yes
No
If yes, state the age you had them.

..
9. What effects does teenage pregnancy have on the
individuals in the community?

10.
What effect does teenage pregnancy have on the
pregnant teen?

Worries about their future

Trouble with finances
Drugs and Smoking at an early age
Depression
Neglect of Child

11.
How do you feel about teenage pregnancy overall?

12.
Are teenage males affected by getting females
pregnant?

Yes
No
If yes, state your opinion.

13.
How do you think parents should deal with teenage girls
becoming pregnant?

14.

Do you think parents/ schools within the community

should give birth control to their sexually active teenage

girls?

Yes
No
State your reason why.

15.
What do you think is the best way to prevent teenage
pregnancy in your community?

Encourage Abstinence
Help them respect themselves
Have the Sex Talk with them
Lay out consequences

Procedure for Data Collection

A total of 15 questionnaires were randomly distributed
among the residents of Cornwall Courts to determine the
extent to which teenage pregnancy exist among girls in the
community, and also to determine the causes and impacts.
The respondents included parents, working residents and
residents who stay home every day due to lack of
employment. Residents were given two days to answer the
questionnaires after which all were returned. 20% were
distributed to males and 80% were distributed to females
ranging from ages 15 30.

Presentation of Data
Table showing Causes for Teenage Pregnancy in the community of
Cornwall Courts
Reasons for Teenage Pregnancy
Peer Pressure
Rape
Low self-esteem
Lack of supervision

Percentage
45%
15%
20%
20%

Table1.
Table1. Shows the causes for teenage pregnancy in the
community of Cornwall Courts. Approximately 45% of the
respondents chose Peer Pressure as the cause, 15% chose
Rape as the cause, 20% chose Low self-esteem as the
cause and the other 20% chose Lack of supervision, as the
cause of teenage pregnancy.

Pie chart showing the impacts of Teenage Pregnancy on the teen in the community of Cornwall Courts

Worries about their future

10% 5%

Trouble with finances

38%

35%

Drugs and Smoking at an

early age
Depression
Neglect of child

12%

Figure1.
Pie Chart outlines the impacts of teenage pregnancy on the
teen in the community of Cornwall Courts.
Approximately 5% of the responders worries about their
future, 38% has trouble with finances, 12% does Drugs and
Smoking at an early age, 35% goes through depression and
the remaining 10% neglect of baby.

Bar Graph showing the best ways to prevent Teenage Pregnancy

60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Figure 2.
Bar graph representing the best ways to prevent teenage
pregnancy.
From the data collected, Encouraging Abstinence is the highest
ranking 50, Helping them respect themselves the second highest
ranking 20, thirdly laying out consequences ranking 17 and lastly
to have the sex talk ranking 13.

Analysis and Interpretation of Data

The information has revealed that Teenage Pregnancy in the
community of Cornwall Courts is prevalent and that females who
are going through teenage pregnancy are within the group of
ages 15-19. It was also revealed that majority of the male teens
do not neglect their child but usually drop out of school so that
they can get a job to provide for the new family. Most of these
pregnant teens are from a single- parent family or a sibling
household.
Respondents believe that Peer Pressure is one particular factor
that leads to teenagers getting pregnant. Rape (15%), Low selfesteem (20%) and Lack of supervision (20%) were also revealed
as causes of teenage pregnancy in the community of Cornwall
Courts. These youths have to drop out of school to take care of
their young, many stay home and rely on the male to try and find
means and ways to get money. The researcher has also showed
that the main impacts on these teens are; worrying about their
future with a percentage of (5)due to the fact that they feel as if
they cannot continue school and would have to focus on the child,

financial problems with a percentage of (38) with taking care of

the child because of the type of work field they can get into,
Drugs and smoking at an early age with a percentage of (12) for
the stress they go through, Depression with a percentage of (35)
because they feel under pressure to do everything right and
Neglecting the child which is the failure of caregivers to provide
needed age-appropriate care, with a percentage of (10) by
focusing on different things rather than taking care of the child.
The respondents also gave their opinion on solutions which could
help to prevent teenage pregnancy and the researcher has
interpreted them. The solutions that may help to prevent teenage
pregnancy are encouraging abstinence so that the teen will learn
to wait until they are ready to create a family on their own,
helping them respect themselves by not letting peer pressure
influence them as much as possible, lay out consequences so that
they can learn the experience of living on their own and trying to
find different way to care for themselves and to have the sex talk
with them so they can ensure that not only should they wait but
they should be safe at all times whether they are sexually active
or not.

Statement of Findings
The research conducted has revealed the following findings:
1. The major cause of teenage pregnancy in the community of
Cornwall Courts is Peer Pressure (45%).

Recommendations and Implementation Strategy

The researcher would like to make the following
recommendations:
1. Have more recreational activities within the community for
youth so that they get more involved and encouragement
towards themselves.
2. Educating the youths in the community about family
planning and the disadvantages of teenage pregnancy.
To educate these youths, I would personally organize a
project by going around the community and give out
pamphlets to help spread the family planning awareness and
abstinence. Also, by organizing counseling sessions in the
community for teenagers to help lessen the problems of
teenage pregnancy.

Bibliography
Gunter, M. (2015, November 15). Region charts ways to
reduce teenage pregnancy. Observer Jamaica.

Appendix
Why reducing Teenage Pregnancy Matters?
Having children at a young age can damage a young
womans health status as well as severely limit their
opportunities in going back to school and/or getting jobs.
Long term research shows that children born to teenagers
are more likely to experience a range of negative outcomes
in later life, and are up to three times more likely to become
teenage parents themselves. Reducing teenage pregnancy
matters because it is giving teens more time to become a
developed adult so that they can make right decisions.