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Advocacy Project: Teen Pregnancy

Rachel Chen

Amber Navarro

Anjali Sheth

Elaine Young

Lydia Yun

Chapman University

CSP511: Introduction to Ethical Practice of Professional School Counseling

Dr. Golden

Fall 2020
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Teen Pregnancy

According to current data from the CDC, although US teen birth rates hit an all-time low

in 2017, over 194,000 babies were born to young people between 15 and 19 (2019). While this

10% decline was quite remarkable, teen pregnancy has remained one of the toughest and pervasive

challenges counselors, guardians, young birth parents, and community stakeholders face today.

We continue to observe large disparities between Hispanic and Black teen birth rates compared to

non-Hispanic White teens. Those living in low-income, less educated families or foster care are

also more likely than their peers to become pregnant. Perhaps the most crucial statistic, unveiled

by the CDC, is that eight out of ten teens report not receiving any form of sex education before

becoming sexually active (2019). Although our historic efforts aimed at prevention and support

have led to noteworthy progress, the staying power of this teen issue confirms there is still much

work to be done.

As our library of literature targeting this unique adversity continues to expand, current

research has detailed four key pathways to further lower teen pregnancy and birth rates in the US.

“First is a crisp focus on increasing teens’ knowledge about the wide variety of contraceptive

methods available; second is improving teens’ access to high-quality contraceptive services; third

is strengthening social norms about the significance of pregnancy and the reasons for avoiding

too-early childbearing, and fourth is building high-quality research into all such efforts” (Brown,

pg. 522, 2020). As counselors investigate the best path forward, expanding our knowledge of this

advocacy issue, reviewing our role, and having a firm understanding of relevant law and ethics are

essential for choosing the best evidence-based supports and resources for our youth.
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A Counseling Advocacy Issue

According to the World Health Organization, teen pregnancy has been a global problem

occurring in marginalized communities affected by poverty, lack of education, and low

employment opportunities. As a victim of sexual abuse, experience with substance abuse, lack of

knowledge about sex contraception, low self-esteem, social pressures, and having sexually active

friends can put teens at a higher risk of getting pregnant. Although there has been a decline in birth

rates worldwide, substantially high teen pregnancy rates persist in the United States. Reports have

found that 75% of unintended pregnancies were among teens aged 15 to 19 (CDC, 2019).

Additionally, unintended pregnancy rates were highest among young women of color ages 18-24,

low-income, and had not completed high school.

Studies have shown that teen pregnancy is often presented as a problem with negative

consequences. Teen pregnancy is the leading cause of dropout for young women and affects early

parenting within young men. The CDC reports show that 80% of young men aged 15-19 years did

not have a positive response to find the female pregnant; additionally, data shows that teen fathers

are less likely to graduate from high school (CDC, 2018). Stigmas and negative perceptions of this

group are the leading cause of high dropout rates in pregnant teens (Mangel, 2010). Although

discrimination against teen pregnancy is prohibited, subtle forms of bias or prejudice can lead teens

to disengage and drop out of school. Approximately 70% of teen girls who give birth dropped out

due to the lack of school support (Mangel, 2010). Lack of knowledge and discrimination

contributed by schools have impacted the high dropout rates, especially those that are pregnant or

parenting students of color still in school. According to the Guttmacher Institute (2014), the

pregnancy rate for African-American and Hispanic girls ages 14 to 19 is three times higher than

for their white/non-Hispanic peers (Kost & Henshaw, 2014). A significant disparity in high school
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graduation reveals a great need for student engagement and support. About 50% of teen mothers

have received their high school diplomas by 22 years old; however, the other half have not. (CDC,

2019). This is a great concern because students that drop out are likely to be unemployed,

incarcerated, living in poverty, and continue the cycle of having their children dropping out of

school and living in poverty as well (Mangel, 2011). On top of dealing with countless doctor

appointments, teachers refusing to allow make-up work, and being discouraged or excluded from

school activities, pregnant teens need greater support from the school and the community.

Legal and Ethical Issues

Like many circumstances a school counselor faces, supporting a student experiencing teen

pregnancy can be quite challenging. Given that every person is different, every time this issue is

presented, the school counselor must look at it with fresh eyes to scaffold the student in the most

needed way. Teen pregnancy can bring up moral issues for those involved, so it is crucial for the

school counselor to remain unbiased and not impose their beliefs and values onto the student. Teen

pregnancy is a complex, multifaceted issue. There are both legal and ethical standards to look into

when addressing this situation.

When looking at the ASCA Ethical Standards and the ACA Code of Ethics, the first point

to note is confidentiality. It is essential to inform the student of their right to privacy and the

exceptions when you need to inform others of the situation to support them better. In determining

parent/guardian involvement, it is essential to determine if sexual abuse or violence occurred

leading up to the pregnancy. ASCA Ethical Standards section A.9 requires the school counselor to

inform the appropriate individuals of serious and foreseeable harm. According to the California

Family Code § 6928 a medical professional must contact the parent/guardian if the minor has been

sexually assaulted. However, if there is reason to believe that the attack was perpetrated by the
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parent/guardian, contact does not need to be made. If the sexual assault was not involved with the

pregnancy, the California Family Code § 6925 allows a minor to seek medical care without consent

from the legal guardian.

Role of the School Counselor

School Counselors are proactive leaders, advocates, and collaborators within school

settings. They proactively manage comprehensive school counseling programs that support all

students’ academic, social-emotional, and career readiness (ASCA, 2019). Therefore, having a

holistic perspective is vital in developing programs that meet the students’ needs and align with

the school, district, and state’s standards. Additionally, collaborating with various stakeholders

within and outside the school will enhance students’ network of support.

When students face issues that impede their academic, social-emotional, and career

readiness, school counselors have an obligation to create support systems that address and prevent

problems from exacerbating. Due to complex issues surrounding teen pregnancy, such as increased

dropout rates or lack of trained educators in working with teen parents, there is an evident need for

school counselors to provide health resources, career development, academic supports, and

evidence-based programs that support teen parents. Lack of support from schools and negative

stigma are common factors that contribute to dropout rates amongst teen parents (Mangel, 2010).

If a lack of support from schools influences teen parents to drop out of school, school counselors

must examine the effectiveness of existing programs and provide training for educators to better

support teen parents within schools. Given these risk-factors and challenges, collecting data and

finding evidence-based programs are essential to support teen parents in being successful inside

and outside of school.

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Action Plan

Although circumstances around teen pregnancies can be complicated, it is essential for

school counselors to always provide support with the student’s best interest in mind. An evidence-

based, multi-tiered system of support approach can be extremely beneficial for reaching all

students. School counselors offer students information and resources on safe sex practices,

consent, reproductive health access, and legal rights at the tier one prevention level. For tier two,

school counselors conduct small group lessons that promote positive and healthy attitudes, teach

stress management, help identify a career or academic goals, and take any steps necessary to

remove potential barriers for students (Muskin, 2006). Finally, students who need one-on-one

support at the tier three level receive services that address all academic, career, emotional, and

physical health needs. It is vital for the school counselor to assist in continued academic

engagement to ensure lower dropout rates and increased positive outcomes of high school

graduation and financial independence for students at tier two and tier three. School counselors

also reassure students by communicating that they will continue to support them throughout their

high school career no matter what happens.

All4You! is a program designed to reduce the number of unprotected sexual intercourse

associated with a higher risk of pregnancies, contracting HIV, and other STIs (Coyle et al., 2006).

Developed for high school students between the ages of 14 to 18, school counselors will implement

a curriculum that involves 14 classroom sessions summing up to a total of 26 hours, seeking to

change attitudes, beliefs, and perceived norms around the topic of safe sexual practices.

Additionally, the program will also include around 12.5 hours of service learning visits in the

community where students have an opportunity to visit and volunteer at sites such as preschools,

senior centers, and AIDS service organizations (Coyle et al., 2006). As such, not only does the
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All4You! Program help counselors provide students with vital information and resources on safe

sex practices; it nurtures the opportunity for first-hand experience around spheres of influence that

offer insight on respect, responsibility, and accountability.

Serving a smaller, specific population at the tier two level, the Relationships and Parenting

Support (RAPS) Program is derived from culturally sensitive data that promotes family support

and focuses on stress reduction and positive coping. Therefore, data used to develop this program

can be tailored toward specific community needs in underserved and marginalized populations.

Counselors will design a small group-based program, as the RAPS program aims “to support

unmarried parents by helping them develop parenting, wellness, and relationship skills,

individually and dyadically (Williams & Oravecz, p. 169). Counselors will hone in on both couple

and individual skills, which is vital because teenage pregnancies affect the expecting mother and

affect the teen father. Another program counselors should utilize in providing support for both

male and female high school students in the Graduation, Reality, And Dual-Role Skills (GRADS)

Program. The GRADS program focuses on work and family foundation skills and helps expecting

and parenting youth to develop skills leading to high school graduation and economic

independence. The GRADS program also offers on-site childcare, which removes barriers that

might affect attendance rates, ensuring young parents’ ability to continue their education (Harper

et al., 2020). Trying to balance responsibilities as a parent and a student can be challenging. With

drop out rates being as high as previously mentioned, it is essential for school counselors to assist

students in planning for continued high school education to secure the best possible chance for an

independent financial future.

Additional to tier two supports, the GRADS program also offers comprehensive case

management to expecting or parenting youth, providing one-on-one support as needed at the tier
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three level. Counselors can provide support by assessing each individual’s education, career,

physical and mental health, childcare, and legal needs. School counselors spearhead the

coordination of services between students, their families, teachers, school nurses, counselors, and

social workers to ensure a well-rounded support system. In addition, there is also a strong focus

on improving academic outcomes by ensuring higher attendance rates and addressing student

needs for academic success (Harper et al., 2020). In this way, school counselors harness a better

understanding of individual cases to support their needs by removing barriers, providing emotional

support, and offering appropriate resources that help lead to academic success and career

independence after graduation.

As counselors rise to the challenge of educating and preventing teen pregnancy in their

schools, some specific data put forth by the CDC reveal a distinct silver lining. According to this

data, “More than 7 in 10 (76%) spoke to their parents about birth control or about not having sex”

(2019). This compelling evidence confirms that parents indeed play an influential and vital role in

their teens’ education and decision making regarding sex. Counselors should be reassured that

programs such as Relationships and Parenting Support (RAPS) and Graduation, Reality And

Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) are reliable, culturally-sensitive approaches that protect the inherent

strengths of the parent-child dyad and ultimately offer the best opportunity to further lower teen

pregnancy rates while amplifying protective factors.

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References

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics.

http://counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2014-code-of-ethics-

Finaladdress.pdf

American School Counseling Association. (2016). 2016 ASCA Ethical Standards.

http://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicStandards2016.pdf

Brown202, S. (2020, May). What Will It Take to Further Reduce Teen Pregnancy in the U.S.?

Retrieved November 28, 2020, from

https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JADOHEALTH.2020.02.009

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, December 19). Preventing Pregnancies in

Younger Teens. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/young-teen-pregnancy/index.html.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Reproductive Health -

Unintended Pregnancy. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/unintendedpregnancy/index.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Reproductive Health: Teen

Pregnancy - Engaging Young Men. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/educating-engaging-young-men-reproductive-

health.htm

Code Section Group. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23,2020, from

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=FAM

Coyle, K. K., Kirby, D. B., Robin, L. E., Banspach, S. W., Baumler, E., & Glassman, J.

R. (2006). All4You! A Randomized Trial of an HIV, Other Stds, and Pregnancy

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Prevention Intervention for Alternative School Students. AIDS Education and

Prevention, 18(3), 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1521/aeap.2006.18.3.187

Harper, J., Hopper, D., Keating, B. et al. NM GRADS: Lessons Learned from

Implementing a School-Based Program for Young Parents Across New Mexico.Matern

Child Health J 24, 163–170 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-02993-5

Kost, K., Henshaw, S. (2014). U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions, 2010: National

and State Trend by Age, Race, and Ethnicity. Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved from

https://www.guttmacher.org/report/us-adolescent-pregnancy-trends-2013

Mangel, L. (2010). Teen Pregnancy, Discrimination, and the Dropout Rate. ASLU-WA.

Retrieved from https://www.aclu-wa.org/blog/teen-pregnancy-discrimination-and-

dropout-

rate#:~:text=Schools%20refusing%20to%20give%20excused,discouraging%20and%20di

sapproving%20comments%20from

Mangel, L. (2011). Pregnant and Parenting Students Are Still Being Pushed Out of School.

ASLU-WA. Retrieved from https://www.aclu-wa.org/blog/pregnant-and-parenting-

students-are-still-being-pushed-out-school

Martin, J. A. et al. (2019). Birth: Final Data for 2018. National Vital Statistics Report, 68(13)

The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (4th Edition).

(2019). American School Counselor Association.