An Assessment of Adolescent Pregnancy and Social Risk Factors: Evidence from Agencies and Organizations in the Juvenile Justice System

Abstract

In the past, it was common for young, single women who became pregnant to get married or give up their children for adoption. During the last half century, however, young women have increasingly more likely to keep their children and to be single parents; the proportion of non-marital teenage births has risen from 13% in the 1950s to 79% in 2000. The research seeks to describe the different organizations that are affected by teenage mothers and attempts to address teenage pregnancy and its implications for organizations/agencies such as: The Board of Education, Legislation, and Juvenile Justice System. Each one of these agencies is different entities with different functions but is detrimental in the development of teenage mothers and their journey from adolescence to adulthood. This study also aims to contribute to the body of knowledge the need for innovated programs to address the needs of these young mothers and future studies that focus on issues that arouse due to this phenomenon.