Predicting Teen Motherhood and Teen Fatherhood: Individual Characteristics and Peer Affiliations

In a longitudinal investigation of the antecedents and pathways of teen parenthood, 475 participants (248 females and 227 males) were followed from Grade 7 through early adulthood. In the first year of the investigation, homogeneous subgroups were identified by clustering participants on five characteristics (i.e., aggression, popularity, academic competence, age, and socioeconomic status). At the same time, peer social networks were identified by the Social Cognitive Map procedure. For each participant, the configuration of peer characteristics was also identified. A high correspondence was found between the individual characteristics and the characteristics of closely affiliated peers. Both teen fatherhood and teen motherhood were predicted by individual configurations and peer configurations (e.g., a combination of high aggression, low academic competence, low popularity, and low family SES). Peer characteristics, race, and family socioeconomic status assumed unique roles in predicting teen motherhood. Growth curve analyses showed that teen-mothers differed from non-mothers in their starting points and developmental trajectories. This study demonstrated that a simultaneous examination of both the individual and his/her peer context yielded important information on teen parenthood.