Teenage Fathers 1

Ximena Lopez

Teenage Fatherhood

Carla Franklin

HD 320 Contemporary Urban Adolescent

4-18-2017
 Teenage Fathers 2

Introduction

This paper will focus on the impact of teenage pregnancy. Specifically, on teenage men,

who are often forgotten and overlooked. Many of the research regarding teen pregnancy often

only focus solely on the mother and the father is rarely mentioned. Having a baby at any age

comes with many changes for example a persons emotional state, responsibilities, and

occasionally their social circle is affected as well. Throughout my research I would know; how

does having a baby affect teenage boys emotional state? Does having baby help them mature

mentally or emotionally at a faster rate than their peers without a child? I am also curious to

know if they had guidance prior to being sexually active, during the pregnancy, and after the

child was born. Additionally, an important factor to discover would be what teenagers are more

likely to become that fathers prior to graduating high school?

This is an important subject due to the fact that we tend to overlook teenage boys whom

might be going through difficult times after finding out they are going to become a father.

Teenage boys should be able to have the same resources as teenage girls who are pregnant. I

dont think it healthy for a young man to deal with his fears of becoming a father alone. There

should be more support groups, classes, and sexual education in schools, in order to prevent

unplanned pregnancies.

This is an important subject for people who are studying the field of human development.

The reason why I believe is an important factor because Having key information gives us a better

idea as what programs we should develop in order to help young men not become fathers at a

young age, and to help young fathers be part of their childs life and how to continue their

personal growth.
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Literature Review

As I started doing research on teenage fathers I noticed there was a very limited amount

of information. Many of the articles that I did come across only mention the mother and the

baby, very little was mention about the father. Mindy Scott, Nicole Steward, Jennifer Malove

and Kristin Mooren express the same concern at the beginning of their research paper titled, The

Characteristics and Circumstances of Teen fathers: At the Birth of Their Child and Beyond. They

state, Research and policy in the United States have focused so much more on teen mother than

teen father. Horald Buss, Tyler Guise, Tony Scanlan, and Terry Voice also mention such

concern in the article, The Support Needs of Teenage Fathers. They state If there is any group

that appears to be completely absent from their childrens life it is that of teenage

fathersteenage pregnancy almost inevitably seems to lead to sole motherhood and secretly

tends to blame the young men themselves: after having caused a pregnancy they flee from the

responsibility.

They claim Research found that teenage fathers were not always as keen to avoid

responsibility as is generally thought by society, that they were often very enthusiastic about the

prospect of becoming an involved parent. Wanting to learn how to do the job properly. (Father

and Child 2008) Even though the dad wants to be involved there are different factors that cause

separation as the child gets older. 18 months after the birth, 87 % of the teenage parents lived

together or had daily contact (Father and Child 2008).

One of the main reasons fathers stop visiting their baby is because they had trouble with

the mother of the child. The most common reason given by the father not having more contact

with their children was the mothers reluctance to let them, or problems in their relationship.

(Father and Child 2008) According to the experts another factor was the responsibility
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expectations. Unrealistic expectation and the inability to combine the developmental tasks of

adolescent with the responsibilities of fatherhood increase their vulnerability to parenting failure.

(Father and Child 2008)

According to experts being a father at a younger age comes with many negative

consequences. Shay Bilchik states Teen Fatherhood has many negative educational, financial,

social, health and other developmental consequence for those young men and their children.

(Belchik 2000) He continues, Boys who become teenage fathers are also likely to engage in

constellation of other problem behaviors such as non-criminal misbehavior (status offending)

disruptive school behavior and drug use. (Belchik 2000) As we could see Bilchick points out

teenage fathers are not only effected emotionally but in many other ways that lead to severe

negative behavior, such as drug use, health issues, and their education might also be affected.

According to Jason M Fletcher and Bordona L. Wolfe in a study called The effects of teenage

Fatherhood on Young Adult Outcomes they inform us that, Generally we find evidence that

teenage fatherhood shifts education outcomes by decreasing years of schooling and the

likelihood of receiving a high school diploma and increasing general educational development

(GED) receipt. (2011) Fletcher and Wolfe provide a table that shows the percentage of a male

high school graduates who had children, along with male teenagers who were expecting a baby

and those who were not link in any way to teen pregnancy. The results are as follows, results

suggest that the negative effects of teenage fatherhood are heterogeneous between those

categories of individuals. Males who reported using birth control have smaller estimate

educational consequence, are more likely to get married and show no significant income

difference. These males also are less likely to be idle and are more likely to be employed full and

in military. Males who reported not using birth control complete fewer years of schooling and
 Teenage Fathers 5

experience large shifts between receiving a high school diploma and a GED. These men also are

more likely to idle. While the results are not statistically significant, these males may have

increased short-term earning as a result of becoming a father. (F2011)

As previously mentioned, teenage fathers are more likely to involve in negative behavior.

Monica Leander, Oniony Mitchell, and Erica E Contes study multiple forms of data to

investigate if being a teen father really lead to negative behavior such as delinquency or does it

help young men make better decisions

In the research Teenage Fatherhood as a potential turning point in the lives of

Delinquency Youth. Lander Mitchell and Contest argue that having a child could be a positive

experience to a teenager who is already involved in delinquent behavior. They explain, It is

conceivable that delinquent behavior compounded with an untimely fatherhood status make it

increasingly difficult for young males to successfully transition into adulthood. Despite this

correlation, relatively little is known about the influence that fatherhood has on delinquent

offenders. Research on delinquent adolescent fathers has largely ignored the possibility positive

affect that fatherhood poses for this subpopulation. Consistent with the life course perspective, it

is possible that investment into the role of a father may not as protective factor against farther

delinquent behavior. Research conducted by Lemay, suggest that indolent with children may

help to promote psychological will-being for the father. As we could see this research focuses

on your teenager that already are involved in delinquent behavior. The publisher believes that

children are a motivation for teenage father to get away from delinquent behavior. Unfortunately,

there more studies that argue otherwise.

As I started this research paper one of my biggest question was who are the most

vulnerable teenager to become fathers and at such a young age? According to a research done
 Teenage Fathers 6

by Child Trends in 2012 Young men between the ages of 12 and 16 in 1996 became father

before their twentieth birthday. This research was done by asking a group of father to

participate in a questioner. In this research the publisher also focuses on the ethnicity and family

conditions. According to Biochip, Research has shown that African Americans teenagers are

more likely to be fathers than are white or Hispanic teenager. Additionally, teen fatherhood has

been empirically associated with boys who come from impoverished families and neighborhoods

and with those who engage in delinquency and other problem behavior. () Another reason why

teenage boys become fathers at such a young age is due to the lack of resources. According to

Robert Becker, Facilities that are reaching out to men often find their male services

underutilized. Many times, services for men are housed in setting where staff lacks training in

male sexuality and sexual health. Where provide attitudes about mens involvement in

reproductive health may compromise the quality of service delivery and the environment itself.

The dcor to the informational and educational materials may not reflect mens interest or

needs. (Becker)
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Mythology

When I stared this research paper I had no Idea I was going to do it on Teenage

pregnancy but with a focus on the male part. The reason why I decided to focus on this topic was

due to a conversation I had with one of my friend Edward. As we were talking we got to the

subject of kids. Thats when he shared how he felt a lone and scared when he found out about his

girlfriend being pregnant. I stared asking him question like who were you able to talk to, what

where your feelings, and what was the main reason why he drop out of school. After he share his

answers with me, I decided to do some research online. To my surprise there was not a lot of

research that provided information on the teenage father. The majority of the research I came

across with focus only on the mother and the child. It seems like the teenage father was not taken

in consideration, or as if he was little to no importance. I was able to go on the Pacific Oaks

library website, and I was able to get articles that only focus on the teenage father. Getting recent

articles was the problem. Many of the articles where not recent they were done a few years back.

I was able to find more articles through google that were more recent and provide more

information.
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Results

When I first found out I was going to be a dad, I felt terrified. I remember I was in shock for a

few minutes until my girlfriend snapped me out of it. I remember I would cry at night because of

the stress I felt. I was only sixteen, I didnt have a job, my parents did not get paid well in order

to help me pay for all the expenses heading my way. I knew I had to get a job as soon as possible

because I had to provide for my child that was soon going to be here. It was hard finding a job

that would accommodate to my needs. I still wanted to go to school and finish my education. But

many of the jobs I applied to did not offer part time positions. I had to drop out of school in order

to get a full time job. The job that I got did not pay well but it would cover the basic needs of my

girlfriend and the baby that was on the way. I was lucky that her parents let us live in their house

rent free or else I would have had to find a second job. When my son was born all I wanted to do

was provide everything for him. I think thats when I lost track of my night classes and focus

more on bringing money to the house. But you know what wouldnt change it, hes my

motivation. I love my son. Edward, 21 years of age.

Just like Edward there are plenty of teenagers willing to stay and help the mother raise

their baby. But no much information is provided on the subject. The Father and Child

Organization state, Although a large volume of academic research dealt with teenage

pregnancy, only a small proportion dealt with the father as a factor and many studies did not

mention the father at all.() Through research the Father and child organization found that father

want to be involved but often find obstacles to keep them from being with their children, they

state Even though they want to be involved with their children the researchers found many of

the young fathers gradually lost contact through lack of structure intervention and committed

support from the childs and both sets of grandparents. One of the biggest factor when fathers
 Teenage Fathers 9

lose touch with their children is because father and mother lose contact with one another. The

organization states, The most common reason given by the fathers for not having more contact

with their children was the mothers reluctance to let them, or problem in their relationships.

Even though teen fathers have been over looked in man studies, they actually have an

enormous amount of impact in their childs life. Sefanie Moliborn and Peter Lovegrove, focus on

three domains in which a teenage father has an impact. The article How Teenage Fathers Matter

for Children Evidence from the EOLS-B published by Mollborn and Lovegrove focuses on three

domains, The house context, the father-mother relationship and father-child relationship. They

continue We expect teenage fathers contribution to childrens household context to be less

positive on average than those of adult fathers. Teenage fathers typically lower education and

income compared with adult fathers poses a contextual risk for their children. (Mollborn &

Lovegrove 2011) As we could see the inability to provide a good economic support affects the

child in a negative way. The second domain Mallborn and Lovegrove focus on is the father and

mother relationship. As the second domain of fathers influence, the father mother relationship

has been shown to affect fathers parenting a child development. Much of the literature on the

father and mother relationship increases involvement in children care. Fathers absence was

associated with depression and anxiety among mothers, and support from fathers elevated

mothers psychological well-being. These findings are interesting because maternal mental health

is an important determinant of childrens development. (Mollborn and Lovegrove 2011) As we

could see teenage fathers have an impact in their childs life as well as the mother of the child. If

the relationship between the mother and the father work well there is a higher chance of the

father being present in the childs life. It is also important to notice that the fathers involvement

also affects the childs mother depending on the circumstances of their relationship, which
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ultimately affect the child. The third domain in which the father influences is the father and child

relationship. Father involvement has been shown to be positively related to childrens academic

performance and adolescents behavior. Fathers communication with their children improved the

childrens communication skills, which in turn reduce behavior problem. However, some

research has found a nonexistent or inconstant effect of father involvement on children outcomes

and has emphasized the importance of considering the quality of the father-mother relationship

when investigating the association between Father-Child contact and child outcome. (Mollborn

and Lovegrove 2011) The outcome of the relationship between father and child is affected

negatively by the immaturity of the father. The Father and Child Organization explain, The

inexperience and immaturity of a young father was found to be a fa tore in his relationship with

the child and the mother. Dallas C. et (2000) believe the lack of development knowledge and

unrealistic expectation for their children behavior shown by the subject they studied might lead

some young parents to mistake their children developmental immaturity for deliberate

misbehavior which could then lead to inappropriate discipline. Such aggressive behavior might

cause the family to split apart as well as psychological problems for the child later in life.

Having a baby at a young age increases the probability of the father dropping out of

school as well as engaging in delinquent behavior. According to the research by Atcharawadee

Sriyasak, Anna-Lena Alonvist, Cheweewan Sridawrung and Elizabeth Haggstron-Nordin found

that, Teenage fathers have been linked with social economic status, lower education and higher

dropout rates. (Nursing and Health Sciences 2015) According to the Father and Child

Foundation, Fathers regardless of their marital status and conception or age at first birth were

much more likely to have been high school drop outs that were other male teenagers. Those with

marital conceived child had a particular high dropout rate almost 62%. Marsiglio W. (1887).
 Teenage Fathers 11

Some ways that a parent, caregiver and the community could teenagers reach their adult

hood without becoming a father is providing information. According Robert Becker Adolescent

men are specially at risk for unintended pregnancy and STIs because they are more likely to be

misinformed about sexuality and sexual health. Young men are socialized to know it all when

it comes to sex. Do not ask questions and to always be ready and willing to sexual activity.

(Young) According to the national campaign to prevent to teen and unplanned pregnancy it is

important to, Be clear about sexual values and attitude it is important to talk to teenagers

about sex according to the national campaign. Talking with your children early and often about

sex and be specific, Young people have lots of questions about sex, love, and relationship, and

they often say that the source theyd most like to go to for answers is their parents.
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Reference

-Becker, R. (2017). ReCAPP: Theories & Approaches: Male Involvement and Adolescent

Pregnancy Prevention. Recapp.etr.org. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.TheoriesDetail&PageID=315

-Breiding, H., Guise, T., Scanlan, T., & voice, T. (2003). The Support Needs of Teenage Fathers

- Father and Child Trust. Father and Child Trust. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

http://fatherandchild.org.nz/papers/the-support-needs-of-teenage-fathers/

-Edwards Interview. (2017). 5303 E Beverly Blvd.

-Fletcher, J., & Wolfe, B. (2011). The Effects of Teenage Fatherhood on young Adults

Outcomes. http://resiliencelaw.org. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

http://resiliencelaw.org/wordpress2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Effect-of-Teenage-

Fatherhood-on-Outcomes.pdf

-Landers, M., Mitchell, O., & Coates, E. (2014). Teenage Fatherhood as a potential Turning

Point in the lives of delinquent Youth.

-Mollborn, S., & Lovegrove, P. (2017). How Teenage Fathers Matter for Children: Evidence

From the ECLS-B. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3172315/

-Sriyasak, A., Almqvist, A., Sridawruang, C., & Haggstrom-Nordin, E. (2015). Father Role: A

comparison between teenage and adult First Time Fathers in Thailand. Retrieved 18 April 2017
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-Ten Tip for parents to help their Children Avoid Teenage Pregnancy. (2017).

Thenationalcampaign.org. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

http://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/10tips_final.pdf

-Thornberry, T., Wei, E., Stouthamer-loeber, M., & Van Dyke, J. (2000). Teenage Fatherhood

and Delinquent Behavior. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/178899.pdf