Course Description: In this course, the phenomenon of adolescent pregnancy will be examined from a variety of perspectives. We will explore patterns of early pregnancy and childbearing in various racial, geographic, and socioeconomic groups in the United States, as well as public responses to these patterns. Drawing on literature from sociology, history, public health, and psychology, we will analyze the social and demographic trends that led up to and shaped current views about adolescent pregnancy, including its status as an "epidemic." We will review evidence about the correlates and sequelae of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing, with respect to adolescents and their children. Finally, we will consider a variety of approaches that have been or could be applied to the prevention of deleterious psychosocial, medical, and economic outcomes associated with adolescent pregnancy, and we will evaluate these approaches in terms of the empirical evidence of their effectiveness or potential effectiveness.

Course Format: Weekly readings will consist of approximately 4-5 journal articles or book chapters focusing on a common theme or addressing a particular question. Readings will be made available approximately one week before they are due.

Part I: Historical, sociological, and demographic background
 

    Week I: Historical and sociological perspectives
 

Luker, K. (1996). Dubious Conceptions. Chapter 1.

Sollinger, R.L. (1992). Wake up little Susie: Single pregnancy and race before Roe v. Wade. New York: Routledge. Introduction & Chapters 1-3.
 

Bennett, T., Skatrud, J.D., Guild, P, Loda, F., & Klerman, L.V. (1997). Rural adolescent pregnancy: A view from the South. Family Planning Perspectives, 29, 256-60 & 267.

Henshaw, S.K. (1997). Teenage abortion and pregnancy statistics by state, 1992. Family Planning Perspectives, 29, 115-22.

    Week III: Demographics continued: Fathers
 

Cox, J.E. & Bithoney, W.G. (1995). Fathers of children born to adolescent mothers: Predictors of contact with their children at 2 years. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 149, 962-6.

Dearden, K.A., Hale, C.B., & Woolley, T. (1995). The antecedents of teen fatherhood: A retrospective case-control study of Great Britain Youth. American Journal of Public Health, 85, 551-4.

Kaplan, E.B. (1997). Not Our Kind of Girl: Unraveling the Myths of Black Teenage Motherhood. Berkeley: University of California Press. Intro. & Chapter 5.

Males, M. & Chew, K.S.Y. (1996). The ages of fathers in California adolescent births, 1993. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 565-8.

Part II: Correlates and Sequelae

    Week IV: Predictors and Correlates
 

Hayward, M.D., Grady, W.R., & Billy, J.O.G. (1992). The influence of socioeconomic status on adolescent pregnancy. Social Science Quarterly, 73, 750-72.

Jaccard, J. & Dittus, P. (1993). Parent-adolescent communication about premarital pregnancy. Families in Society, June 1993, 329-43.

Plotnick, R.D. (1992). The effects of attitudes on teenage premarital pregnancy and its resolution. American Sociological Review, 57, 800-11.

Plotnick, R.D. & Butler, S.S. (1991). Attitudes and adolescent nonmarital childbearing: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Journal of Adolescent Research, 6, 470-92.

Sommer, K., Whitman, T.L., Borowski, J.G., Schellenbach, C., Maxwell, S., & Keogh, D. (1993). Cognitive readiness and adolescent parenting. Developmental Psychology, 29, 389-98.

Thomas, E.A. & Rickel, A.U. (1995). Teen pregnancy and maladjustment: A study of base rates. Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 200-15.

    Week V: Predictors & correlates, continued
 

Brooks-Gunn, J. & Furstenberg, F.F., Jr. (1989). Adolescent sexual behavior. American Psychologist, 44, 249-57.

Coley, R.L. & Chase-Lansdale, P.L. (1998). Adolescent pregnancy and parenthood: Recent evidence and future directions. American Psychologist, 53, 152-66.

Furstenberg, F.F., Jr., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Chase-Lansdale, L. (1989). Teenaged pregnancy and childbearing. American Psychologist, 44, 313-20.

Resnick, M.D., Bearman, P.S., Blum, R.W., Bauman, K.E., Harris, K.M., Jones, J., Tabor, J., Beuhring, T., Sieving, R.E., Shew, M., Ireland, M., Bearinger, L.H., Udry, J.R. (1997). Protecting adolescents from harm: Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. Journal of the American Medical Association, 278, 823-32.

    Week VI: Effects of early childbearing I: Maternal and child outcomes
 

Furstenburg, F.F., Jr., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Morgan, S.P. (1997). AdolescentMothers in Later Life. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Whitman, T.L., Borkowski, J.G., Schellenback, C.J., & Nath, P.S. (1987). Predicting and understanding developmental delay of children of adolescent mothers: A multidimensional approach. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 92, 40-56.
 

Gates-Williams, J., Jackson, M.N., Jenkins-Monroe, V., & Williams, L.R. (1992). The business of preventing African-American infant mortality. In Cross-Cultural Medicine - A Decade Later [Special Issue]. Western Journal of Medicine, 157, 350-6.

Geronimus, A.T. & Korenman, S. (1993). Maternal youth or family background? On the health disadvantages of infants with teenage mothers. AmericanJournal of Epidemiology, 137, 213-25.

Kinsman, S.B., & Slap, G.B. (1992). Barriers to adolescent prenatal care. Journal of Adolescent Health, 13, 146-54.

Leland, N.L., Petersen, D.J., Braddock, M., & Alexander, G.R. (1995). Variations in pregnancy outcomes by race among 10-14-year-old mothers in the United States. Public Health Reports, 110, 53-8.

Scholl, T.O., Hediger, M.L., & Belsky, D.H. (1994). Prenatal care and maternal health during adolescent pregnancy: A review and meta-analysis. Journal of Adolescent Health, 14, 444-56.

Wiemann, C.M., Berenson, A.B., Garcia-del Pino, L., & McCombs, S.L. (1997). Factors associated with adolescents’ risk for late entry into prenatal care. Family Planning Perspectives, 29, 273-276.

Wise, P. (1994). What you measure is what you get: Prenatal care and women’s health. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1374-5.
 

Boyer, D. & Fine, D. (1992). Sexual abuse as a factor in adolescent pregnancy and child maltreatment. Family Planning Perspectives, 24(4), 4-11 & 19.

Gershenson, H.P., Musick, J.S., Ruch-Ross, H.S., Magee, V., Rubino, K.K., & Rosenberg, D. The prevalence of coercive sexual experience among teenage mothers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 204-19.

Lanz, J.B. (1995). Psychological, behavioral, and social characteristics associated with early forced sexual intercourse among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, 188-200.

Rosenbaum, J.L. (1989). Family dysfunction and female delinquency. Crime and Delinquency, 35, 31-44.

Stock, J.L., Bell, M.A., Boyer, D.K., & Connell, F.A. (1997). Adolescent pregnancy and sexual risk-taking among sexually abused girls. Family Planning Perspectives, 29, 200-3 & 227.

Widom, C.S. & Kuhns, J.B. (1996). Childhood victimization and subsequent risk or promiscuity, prostitution, and teenage pregnancy: A prospective study. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 1607-12.

    Week IX: Miscellaneous topics
 

Aber, J.L., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Maynard, R.A. (1995). Effects of welfare reform on teenage parents and their children. The Future of Children, 5(2), 53-71.

Frost, J.J. & Forrest, J. D. (1995). Understanding the impact of effective teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Family Planning Perspectives, 27(5), 188-95.

Geronimus, A.T. (1992). Clashes of common sense: On the previous child care experience of teenage mothers-to-be. Human Organization, 51, 318-29.

Maynard, R. (1995). Teenage childbearing and welfare reform: Lessons from a decade of demonstration and evaluation research. Children and Youth Services Review, 17, 309-32.

    Week X: Prevention & Intervention
 

Allen, J.P., Philliber, S., Herrling, S., & Kupermink, G.P. (1997). Preventing teen pregnancy and academic failure: Experimental evaluation of a developmentally based approach. Child Development, 64, 729-42.

Fine, M. (1988). Sexuality schooling and adolescent females: The missing discourse of desire. Harvard Educational Review, 58, 29-53.

Polit, D.F., Quint, J.C., & Riccio, J.A. (1998). The challenge of serving teenage mothers: Lessons from Project Redirection. Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation.