Pregnant and Postpartum Adolescents’ Perceptions of the Consequences of Child Abuse

A study of 263 pregnant & postpartum indigent & minority teens was conducted in order to examine their perceptions of the consequences of child abuse & their own child abuse history. Teens identified drug & alcohol abuse & teen suicide as the most serious consequences of abuse. They did not identify pregnancy as such. 27% reported a history of abuse. An experience of abuse & its behavioural consequences may interfere with a teen’s ability to benefit from parenting intervention programs. Therefore, parenting programs may wish to consider the necessity of screening for a history of abuse as well as adding components on behavioural problems adolescent mothers are concerned about. (42 refs)