THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY, PREGNANCY RESOLUTION, AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY |
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| Authors: | Trina L. Hope Esther I. Wilder Toni Terling Watt |
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| Affiliation: | University of Oklahoma;Lehman College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York;Texas State University |
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| Abstract: | We apply criminological theories of social control to explore the relationships among adolescent pregnancy, pregnancy resolution, and juvenile delinquency. While most ever-pregnant girls have especially high rates of delinquent behavior, adolescent mothers exhibit delinquency levels no higher than those of their never-pregnant peers. Unlike adolescent females who end their pregnancies through abortion, those who keep their babies experience a dramatic reduction in both smoking and marijuana use. Our results suggest that among adolescent girls, the birth of a child has a strong trajectory-modifying effect. It serves as a mechanisms of social control and substantially reduces the likelihood of delinquent behavior. |
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