Poverty Among Teenage Mothers and The Child’s Outcome

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Many studies have shown that teenage mothers and their child have a high risk of living in poverty, due to not completing high school, being a single parent and their lack of knowledge and readiness to raise a child because of unplanned pregnancies. Children born of teenage mothers are at a higher risk maltreatment and poor performance in school. In addition, many studies have also shown that teenage pregnancies and poverty have an effect on their child’s development. Teenage pregnancy and the road to poverty Poverty is a major problem most teenage mother’s experience. “Between 2009 and 2010, roughly 48 percent of all mothers age 15 to 19 lived below the poverty line. Teenage mothers that live with their parents were somewhat better off, only 34 percent of them lives below the poverty line. As their children grow older, their likelihood of living in poverty increases. By the time the child reaches three years old, their likelihood of living in poverty increases to 50 percent”, (Stewart Ng and Kaye, 2012a, pp.2-3). According to the US Census Bureau “teen mothers are more than twice as likely as mothers between ages 25 and 29 to live in poverty” (As cited in Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 2008, p.9). A major risk factor as to why many teenage mothers live in poverty is because they drop out of high-school, “fewer than 38 percent get a high school diploma and another 19 percent get a GED, and only 5% of young teen mothers complete at least two years of college by age 30 and less than 2% obtain a college degree.” (Stewart Ng and Kaye, 2012a, p.1; Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 2008, p.10) ". Therefore, these mothers will not get a well-paying job to raise their child. Teen mothers are more likely to l... ... middle of paper ... ...lt, and Adult Mothers: http://proxy4.vaniercollege.qc.ca:2114/pdf27_28/pdf/2013/MPQ/01Jan13/85124292.pdf?T=P&P=AN&K=85124292&S=R&D=a9h&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeqLU4v%2BbwOLCmr0yep7JSrqe4SrCWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGnsEywqLVPuePfgeyx44Dt6fIA • Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 2008: Teenage Births: Outcomes for Young Parents and their Children: http://www.scaany.org/documents/teen_pregnancy_dec08.pdf • Stewart Ng and Kaye, 2012a: Why It Matters; Teen Childbearing, Education, And Economic Wellbeing: http://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/childbearing-education-economicwellbeing.pdf • Stewart Ng and Kaye, 2012b: Why It Matters; Teen Childbearing, Single Parenthood, And Father Involvement: http://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/childbearing-singleparenthood-fatherinvolvement.pdf

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