Allisa Dubiel Dubiel 1

Professor Bernard
English 1190
November 30th, 2022

Researched Plan Intermediate Draft

Teenage pregnancy is an epidemic that rose from 1945 to today’s society where it

should be a topic of discussion but how it makes people feel emotionally, psychologically, and

economically. As years come and go, it became a public question where a teenage girl is

questioned about herself, her identity, and her norms such as her beliefs, political and social. As

it has increased and decreased, it leads sociologists and economists to question; why teenage

pregnancy has decreased and what methods have teenagers used to prevent teenage

pregnancy and STDs. As teenage pregnancies have the same results from family histories, a

lack of sex education is still an issue because they don’t have enough resources or information

educators can teach their students when they go through doubts about puberty, sexuality, and

identity such as who they are attracted to and if they are ready to come out of “the closet”;

meanwhile; another issue to sex education and schools is a lack of support and supplies

students are looking for when they are at an imitate stage in their relationships or if the feelings

of their relationships have changed. As a community, we need to provide a safe and

comfortable support system by being able to show them they aren’t alone and that we can be

there for them. Teenage pregnancy doesn’t have to be embarrassing but can be used as a

learning source for another teenage girl who is going through the same thing. At the same time,

we have to have this topic as a public platform where it is okay to ask questions you’ve been

wondering since childhood but how to be the best you.

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The ideology of teenage pregnancy relies on sociology because it overlooked children

and their childhoods. In a social division of labor, children often have been a “subject” to

psychological education, policy studies, and social work where they become ostracized or

socialized. (Murcott 3) It can be defined in three ways; per-social, non-compete, and pre-

rational. It constitutes the issue of teenage pregnancy because it expresses mortality which only

identifies children by separating them from their parents or guardians. Its social construction

confronts the issue in childhood ideologies which leads us to these questions; is the child

happy, and angelic or is the child destructive, angry, and disappointed? (Murcott 3) However,

policymakers by teenagers are seen as a compound. (Murcott 16) As it was expressed as a

“compound issue”, childhood can be seen as a similar resolution where it is regarded as a

natural development in which the child can be sick or get more attention from his or her parents.

(Murcott 17) Phenomenons express the social construction of teenage pregnancy as a “social

problem” by understanding society’s opinions on it but how can we emphasize it without coming

across as judgy or hateful? ( Murcott 12) As minorities, we need to start viewing and

researching ideologies of childhood such as how they are raised but why do they still have

those beliefs? It leads us to another question; do doctors, psychologists or therapists view us as

individuals or as distant? (Murcott 7) For example, a principal of an all-girls school my cousin

attended only saw her as a “statistic” because of her family history of teenage pregnancy but

how they made it okay and how to use it as a success story. From the sociological standpoint,

she came out rational for one reason: to be the best mom she can be to her oldest daughter.

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 Teenage pregnancy has its own advantages and disadvantages whereas contraception

and predictors of pregnancy are risk-taking. (Kalmuss et al. 23) Previous research shows the

overlook of teenagers’ perceptions where it has a guiding assumption that teenage pregnancy is

unwanted. (Kalmuss et al. 26) A factor of teenage pregnancy indicates advantages and

disadvantages of birth control and teenage pregnancy are both systemically related to each

other. While they are systematically related to each other, there is a strong set of correlations

that reflect the following patterns of associations. Another pattern of advantages and

disadvantages of teenage pregnancy shows fewer advantages along with increasing

advantages with pregnancy along with birth control. (Kalmuss et al. 3) A factor of teenage

pregnancy is adolescence is supposed to be a time of change, testing out rules, identities, and

ideas along with confusion about life and yourself as a person. (Kalmuss et al, 30) Another

sociological factor informs us that teenagers are likely to have belief systems that can be

consistent or cohesive.

Transition from being a “normal” teenager to a teen mom can be hard on her emotionally

and mentally due to the challenges she faced at school and at home. When a girl is pregnant,

she may be in denial about it, after understanding how her body is changing constantly and

reality hitting her, she comes to terms with it. An issue with transition is; everyone transitions

differently in their own way at their own time. Psychologically, it makes them more aware of the

mom they want to be and how they want to raise their child but how to be that example for them.

After they have a baby, it makes her realize what parenthood is and how hard and a struggle it

can be at times; at the same time, making sacrifices for their baby such as putting their

schooling on hold, a job on hold and getting the help they need.

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 As they transition to motherhood, they make other sacrifices such as having their child

in custody of their grandparents or adoption due to some of them not ready financially and

physically. In this transition, teenage mothers stated they were questioned on how they parent

their baby but why is it one-sided without a compromise in between? Teenage mothers realized

some relationships with family, friends or partners can be changed but sometimes they are put

into strain due to the stress of the situation and how they can handle it; mostly; how are they

going to co-parent with each other cordially?

In today’s society, teenage pregnancy is exposed to young women who have a mom,

grandma, aunt, or an older sister who went through a teenage birth of their firstborn children.

(Kalmuss, et al, 5) However, a mom or sister’s teenage birth is likely to have caused an

increased family strain, a strained relationship with friends and community, disruption to their

futures and education, and tension in the household where it can be unstable for the mom and

her baby. (East, et al. 8) Behaviors between a mom and an older sister can lead to having sex

at an early age, dating very young, and a lack of knowledge about sex, sex education, and

relationships with their friends. (Kalmuss, et al. 8) For example, an older sister’s childbearing is

only associated with her mom or younger sister’s ability to increase acceptance of teenage

pregnancy but what her definition of parenthood is and who she is as a mom to her newborn

child. (East, et al. 3) Another factor in the family history of teenage pregnancy indicates my

cousin’s life along with her social norms and how she was raised and how generational teenage

pregnancies can complicate one another but how can we be that example for other teenage

girls? After she was dismissed from school, she turned to her family for support but looked for

the guidance she needed before she made the wrong decisions.

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 After being in and out of jail, she decided to cut her friends out for good but find herself

not only as an individual but as a mom.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of social support is defined as “to

support” to “keep from failing or giving way, courage, confidence, and power of endurance.”

(Turner et al. 46) Social support is only distinguished from a broader concept where it involves

the presence and product of stable relationships. (Henderson 46) While the concepts aren’t

identical, they each share a focus on the relevance and significance of human relationships.

(Henderson 46) Possibilities of alternative explanations aren’t withstanding because the results

suggest the plausibility of significance from family support and intimacy of health and well-being

of mothers and their newborns. (Turner et al. 6) The sociological factor is to address these

categories of environmental factors of change in human resistance and influencing

vulnerabilities instrumentally in diseases and disorders.(Turner et al. 5) Teenage pregnancy is

well-known for adverse consequences of poverty in relation to physical, emotional, and

cognitive developments where there is little question of their parents. (Murcott 5) However, they

view childbearing as a process where social and biological bridges only domain and responsive

to the same psychosocial factors shown to be relevant for mental and physical health and

illnesses. (Turner 44)

As teenage mothers get wiser, sharing stories is important because they want to be that

strong role model for other teenage girls who are going through the same thing they went

through but use it as an outlet. The goal for teenage mothers is to feel like human beings; not

“statistics.” As stories thrive every day, we need to use these stories as a personal realm but as

a common ground to share when they are building friendships with each other. Along with those

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 friendships, they need to be a prime example, raising awareness but a mentor for

another girl when she goes through the same thing they went through. As the results remain the

same, stories need to be taken advantage of. Teenage girls need to know it can be life-

changing but understand each other without putting each other down. It raises the question for

us; how does it make us feel, how does it help us mentally and emotionally and how can we

connect? (Hamby, 7) Teenage mothers have a right to have their own voice, their own platform,

and have that outlet to get it out of their chests. (Hamby, 4) These stories need to be a success

without embarrassment and fear but use it as a reminder that generalization can be bumpy but

can make it through.

A support system needs to be an important, emotional and mental factor in schools

because students need a trusted adult to talk to when they’re going through hard times in their

lives. (Chen, 3) According to Google,a support system is defined as “safe, protective and

belonging in school, but a sense of community.” With community, staff in schools need to take

their time to know their students academically and emotionally. A lack of support in schools is

disappointing where teens often feel ignored; at the same time, they don’t feel safe talking to a

trusted adult because they fear being judged or having their feelings abused. Schools need to

be safe places for teens to go to which leads us to this question; how can we make it safe for

them, what support do they need, and how can we help understand these students and what

they are going through? (Chen, 4) In this argument, students can use that emotional support to

improve their mental health along with their physical health. For example, when I was in high

school, I started going to a school counselor and assistant principal who were safe people to

talk to about stuff but finding solutions to those problems. At the end of those conversations, it

helped me get through my days and helped me realize I am okay.

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 In conclusion, teenage pregnancy can be preventable. A cause of teenage pregnancy is

a girl getting pregnant at a young age with a family history of teenage pregnancy but having an

understanding of having a high-risk pregnancy with complications of preeclampsia, low birth

weight, and a newborn with cognitive and physical disabilities. Teenagers don’t realize

parenthood is a long road where they need to meet with positive role models that they can go to

for words of wisdom or advice. Along with that curiosity, flirty friends and misinformation from

society can cause teenage pregnancy but peer pressures of being sexually active and relying

on entertainment. Within these health and social issues, their life is going to change and

relationships may change after having a baby. They think relationships are going to remain the

same but their emotions and thinking change; by making sacrifices for themselves and their

baby. As beliefs are changing, I want them to understand; you have your whole life ahead of

you and time to figure it out; figure out what you want to do. Enjoy your childhood; don’t rush it;

it’ll come when you know it.

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 Works Cited Page

Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-

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Turner, R. Jay, et al. “Social Support and Outcome in Teenage Pregnancy.” Journal of
Health and Social Behavior, vol. 31, no. 1, 1990, pp. 43–57. JSTOR,
https://doi.org/10.2307/2137044. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.

Kalmuss, Debra, et al. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Pregnancy and

Contraception: Teenagers’ Perceptions.” Population and Environment, vol. 9, no. 1,
1987, pp. 23–40. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27503061. Accessed 17 Nov. 2022.

East, Patricia L., et al. “Association between Adolescent Pregnancy and a Family History
of Teenage Births.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, vol. 39, no. 2,
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“Resilience and 4 Benefits to Sharing Your Story.” Psychology Today, Sussex

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benefits-sharing-your-story?amp.

Chen, Grace. “More than Academics: How Well Public Schools Provide Emotional
Support.” PublicSchoolReview.com, Public School Review, 11 May 2022,
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/amp/blog/more-than-academics-how-well-public-
schools-provide-emotional-support.