Running head: MORE THAN HORMONES

Teen Pregnancy: More Than Just Raging Hormones

Amberette Kennard

Psychology 101

Professor Greg Harmling

05/10/2011

Teen Pregnancy: More Than Just Raging Hormones A young girl gets ready to leave for school. She brushes her teeth, combs her hair and picks out an outfit. She gets dressed and takes one final look in the mirror before heading out. She stares at her midsection, anxiously trying to adjust her shirt. It’s getting harder and harder to hide…soon everyone will know... Despite a one-third decline since the early 1990s, the United States still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth among comparable countries. In 2008, the U.S. teen birth rate was 41.5 births per 1,000 girls age 15-19. By way of comparison, the U.S. teen birth rate is nearly two times higher than the United Kingdom (26.7 per 1,000). (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2010) Teen pregnancy has been the leading topic of many U.S. talk shows, news programs, documentaries, and movies. Its appearance in so many mediums demonstrates that there is a fascination with and strong desire to understand the problem of teen pregnancy in the United States and the constant search for a solution. There have been many studies on the physical causes of teen pregnancy such as rising hormone levels, the adolescent brain’s transition, and more. Although there has been some progress, there still seems to be insufficient understanding of the sociological and psychological factors involved that may explain why teen pregnancy is so rampant in our society. These factors become relevant from birth and extend into adolescence. Often the influence lasts well into adulthood, after the child has become a parent themselves, which can in turn affect their children. A better understanding of the psychological aspects of the problem with teen pregnancy will lead to more effective solutions.

Early Childhood

The first few years of our lives are the most crucial years for learning and development. As we grow, our brain is like a sponge, soaking up everything in its surroundings, both consciously and subconsciously. The first 18 months are crucial for learning about love and trust. It is often during these first few years of life that the child may be left with a babysitter or an individual other than the parent. Often times this is due to the parent being a single parent and needing to return to work in order to provide for themselves and their family. Nevertheless, the child is missing out on valuable bonding time with their parent. A loving and gentle touch helps infants grow and develop as healthy individuals with a healthy sense of their own sexuality (Martinson, 1973; Richardson & Schuster, 2002).

Focusing on female children as an example, there is a horrifying trend of hypersexualization of our young girls that has been moving along unchecked for years. As of late, is has become a serious problem and is undoubtedly one of the main psychological influences on young girls becoming sexually active too soon. TLC’s most recent television series, Toddlers & Tiaras, is a prime example of the hypersexualization of our children. Girls as young as 2 years old are sent on stage wearing tons of makeup, fake hair, fake nails, and provocative clothing and are judged on beauty, talent, and personality. The talent portion of the show often features these young girls emerging from backstage and performing routines that are seductive, provocative, and very inappropriate for their age. “It’s problematic in many ways: It encourages sexualization of girls too young to make good decisions about sex. It legitimizes the idea that young girls should be looked at as sexual partners.” (Durham, 2008). Developmental Biologists state that it is normal for a child to explore their sexuality at a young age, as it is a natural and healthy part of human development; however, there are considerable external influences on this natural process which accelerate the sexuality of children. Erik Erikson (1902-1994), an accomplished developmental psychologist, states that “each part of the personality has a particular time in the life span when it must develop […] If development does not happen on schedule, the rest of development is unfavorably altered(Lerner, 1976). We can reasonably assume that “on schedule” also applies to being exposed too early, which can result in premature and uneducated sexual activity and development; the end result of which is teen pregnancy.

Marketers and big companies thrive off of parents who give in to the sexualization of their children by marketing makeup, hair products, revealing clothing, and more to toddlers and children. The popular clothing company, Abercrombie & Fitch, recently came under fire for their recent line of push up bras and bikini tops targeted toward little girls. A few years earlier they had released a line of thong underwear featuring fancy embellishments and the words “wink, wink” and “bite me” also targeted toward little girls as young as 6 and 7. Have you ever heard of the Bratz Dolls? If so then you are most likely familiar with their sensual pouty lips, heavily made up faces, and often provocative style of dress. These toys are portrayed as being young girls, yet they are dressed like grown women, often in very “sexy” attire. The toy is targeted toward young girls who will naturally want to emulate the doll’s style. By the time that these girls reach puberty, 10 to twelve years of age, they have already been exposed to massive amounts of sexualized advertising, marketing, and media. Then, something occurs between the stages of early childhood and adolescence that makes the influence even stronger, and even more dangerous: Puberty.

Adolescence Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) held a belief that all humans go through a series of psychosexual stages in their development from childhood to adulthood. He characterized these stages by the physical development of sensitivity in erogenous zones on the human body. Stage 5, the genital stage, occurs between the ages of 12 to 18 years old. Appropriately titled, the genital stage is the stage during which physical and sexual development occurs. The human body is then prepared through a series of hormonal and physical changes for reproduction. This stage runs parallel to Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Stage 5 of Erikson’s psychosocial development stages is called Identity vs. Role Confusion. This is a very crucial stage during which the child experiences a struggle to find his or her identity and they feel a strong desire to “fit in” or to develop a sense of normality according to their surroundings and peers. The media plays a crucial part in this stage of development. With the adolescent need to fit in, they find themselves surrounded and bombarded by celebrity and media advertising that advocate being sexy as the way to fit in. The male’s role in society seems to center around how many women he has sex with. The idea is that the more women he sleeps with, the more power he has. The male’s natural desire to be dominant causes him to pursue whatever society deems is characteristic of having power. Girl power has been transformed from a 1960s women’s rights and feminist movement to the embodiment of looking sexy. Girl Power now translates into the power to look sexy and that is all. Being the hottest girl in school is more important than being the smartest. Another key factor to note is that adolescents who never developed a sense of trust in other people during infancy may fear abandonment and may try to use sex to keep from being or feeling abandoned. (Erikson, 1968) It is this lack of parental attention during infancy or the inconsistency of parental figures in the child’s life combined with the results of allowing the television and other media to essentially “raise” the child that produce the adolescents of topic. Societal messages that contribute to the sexualization of girls come not only from media and merchandise but also through girls’ interpersonal relationships (Brown & Gilligan, 1992). Without sufficient parental involvement in the sexual education and psychological development of the child, the child is left only with what society has taught them. Many parents believe that simply forbidding your child from any sexual activities or avoiding the discussion of sex altogether is an effective solution. On the contrary, this type of approach in excess can lead a child to feel as though they cannot confide in their parent, feel disconnected from them, or choose to confide in others and seek advice elsewhere about sensitive topics. It is common knowledge that most of the time a parent tells a child not to do something, they will do it. Thus begins the sneaking and secretive behavior of the adolescent. Since the child is afraid to ask questions, the parent is left feeling frustrated and guessing how to approach the topic of sex with their child. Although adolescents may be physically ready for reproduction, there is still some physical and psychological maturation that needs to occur before they have sex. However, since many parents are not communicating properly with their children about sex, and the media is bombarding them with the wrong messages, it is inevitable that these children will become sexually active too early. Years of hypersexualization by society combined with a lack of parental guidance and the influence of peers who are also misguided can only lead to costly consequences. Those consequences include the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, a misconception of what a healthy relationship involves, confusion about their role in society, and eventually, pregnancy.

The Pregnancy Once a teenage girl becomes pregnant there is a complete shift in the normal process of psychological development. She now has to come to terms with the fact that she now has an enormous responsibility to deal with. Instead of continuing with the normal series of steps in the development from child to adult, everything is thrown out of sequence. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry lists the emotional reactions of a pregnant teen: • some may not want their babies • some may want them for idealized and unrealistic ways • others may view the creation of a child as an achievement and not recognize the serious responsibilities • some may keep a child to please another family member • some may want a baby to have someone to love, but not recognize the amount of care the baby needs • depression is also common among pregnant teens • many do not anticipate that their adorable baby can also be demanding and sometimes irritating • some become overwhelmed by guilt, anxiety, and fears about the future • depression is also common among pregnant teens The child has not had enough time to learn about the responsibilities of adulthood or to learn about how to provide for a family. With a child on the way, their education is in jeopardy, and so are their chances of being able to financially provide for themselves and their child. Despite the frustration a parent may feel toward their teen for becoming pregnant or being responsible for pregnancy, now is the time when they will need the most support. What is done has been done, and the most important thing is to help them through the experience. The teen may feel neglected and alone, and pass these feelings on to their child, once it is born. Babies born to teenage mothers have a high risk of medical difficulties as well as a higher percentage probability of being raised in poverty, and experiencing problems in school. This risk factor is even higher for babies who do not have two parents in their lives. Once a pregnant teen gives birth, it opens a whole new chapter in the cycle of teen pregnancy. More than likely, without intervention and support, the child will be raised in conditions that will result in the same unhealthy rate of development as that of the parent. There is also the possibility, through effective counseling and support, that the teen parents may view their experience as a lesson in itself. As a result they will take the proper precautions and make the right decisions that will help their children to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Exploring Solutions The birth rate for U.S. teenagers dropped 2% in 2008 according to preliminary data. The decline reverses two consecutive years of increase that interrupted the 34% decline in teenage childbearing from 1991 to 2005 (National Vital Statistics Reports Vol. 58 #16, 2010). There has been some progress through the proper implementation of sex education programs and resources available to families. It is important to realize that although many of us have the ideal that our children will not have sex or will never get curious, that ideal is unrealistic, especially in today’s society. The best thing that we can do is to realize that we live in a society with loose morals and we must take the proper precautions that reflect our understanding of that reality. Being open with children and making sex education a normal part of the curriculum from an early age can intercept and counteract the negative influence that mainstream media has on our children. Now we can no longer shield them. It is clearly evident that children are going to find out whether or not we want them to. It is best to teach them how to make educated decisions instead of costly mistakes. The researchers found that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 60 percent less likely to get pregnant or to get someone pregnant than those who received no sex education (University of Washington in Seattle, news release, March 19, 2008). Abstinence is the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, but what happens when they are not taught about the dangers that occur from having sex? What happens when teens are not taught how to protect themselves in the instance that abstinence should fail? Family Planning Clinics, organizations such as the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA) and The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, books, counselors, and hundreds of other resources exist to help with the transition from childhood to adulthood and help to make sure it does not happen too soon. If we take an active role in the psychological development of our children from birth, we can be confident that they are making well educated decisions about sex. Although they may still be subjected to these outside messages, they will be fully capable of making the right choices on their own. References
ABC News. (2010) Are Young Girls Being Over-Sexualized? Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/young-girls-sexualized-10654956

American Psychological Association, Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. (2010). Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls/report-full.pdf

Bissonnette, S., Bergeron, P. (2007) Sexy Inc National Film Board of Canada.

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Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Ventura SJ. Births: Preliminary data for 2008. National vital statistics reports; vol. 58 no.16. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Released April 6, 2010.

Richardson, J., & Schuster, M. A. (2003). Everything you never wanted your kids to know about sex (but were afraid they'd ask): The secrets to surviving your child's sexual development from birth to the teens. New York: Three Rivers Press.