Breaking the adolescent parent cycle : valuing fatherhood and motherhood

This book addresses the dilemma created by the discrepancy between our efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy and our support of adolescent parenthood, which the author argues is America's greatest unrecognized public health crisis. It is the most preventable cause of crime and welfare dependency, and because we hold no expectations for parents who conceive and give birth to children, rates of child neglect and abuse in the United States far exceed those of other developed nations. Westman explores the circumstances and values that make motherhood seem to be girls' best option and that induce males to conceive without the ability to support their children. It proposes a feasible legal procedure as the basis for ensuring that adolescents' babies have competent parents with the resources and environments they need. Part 1 : the problem The neglect of children and adolescents in the United States Adolescent pregnancy and childbirth trends The denigration of parenthood Divergent parenthood styles Dysfunctional social policies and services Part 2 : theoretical foundation Chaos/Complexity theory The rights of babies and adolescents The rights of parents Part 3 : the human developmental process Developing human relationships : attachment bonding Adolescent development Emerging adulthood Parenthood as a developmental stage in life Part 4 : the dynamics of adolescent parenthood Choosing to be an adolescent parent Profiles of adolescent parents The impact of parenthood on adolescents The impact of adolescent parenthood on children Part 5 : families The families of adolescent parents The impact of adolescent parenthood on families Part 6 : Neighborhoods and communities Social class and adolescent parenthood Peer influences on adolescent parenthood Gang influences on adolescent parenthood Part 7 : culture Cultural influences on adolescent parenthood Black adolescent parenthood Latino adolescent parenthood American Indian adolescent parenthood Muslim adolescent parenthood Hmong adolescent parenthood Part 8 : Society Impact of adolescent parenthood on society Programs for adolescent parents Dampening and amplifying trends Part 9 : solutions Preventing adolescent pregnancy and parenthood Valuing parenthood Parenthood planning teams and certification of parenthood Adoption Part 10 : conclusion. This book addresses the discrepancy between efforts to prevent adolescent pregnancy and support of adolescent parenthood, which is arguably America's greatest unrecognized public health crisis. It proposes a feasible legal procedure as the basis for ensuring that adolescents' babies have competent parents with the resources and environments they need.