Thursday, February 10, 2011

Hypothesis on teenage pregnancy: People who become parents at a young age tend to be lower in social/economic status. What are the variables?

The previous post illuminated some very strong areas of thought.  If I could also propose that the educational variable can be quite persuasive.  Students who are encouraged from an early age to challenge themselves through study and education might minimize the impact of involving themselves in a situation where teen pregnancy might be a reality.  This does not say that "honors students do not have teen pregnancy issues," but rather suggests that education can be a variable in this equation.  The overriding issue in teen pregnancy for the most part is how students, particularly girls, wind up in such a scenario.  Examining the role of education, its importance, and its results in this dynamic could be a very compelling variable.  It might also be interesting to track the pattern of education leading up to pregnancy.  How did the student fare in classroom assessments and how was their overall attitude towards succeeding in school?  These might be questions that could initiate a great deal of debate within the teen pregnancy question.  As long as we are examining potential factors which will impact the debate, I would also like to posit the element of psychology.  How does one's psychological makeup fit into the schematic of teen pregnancy?  For example, are children from abused homes who are victims of abuse or assault themselves more likely or less likely to engage in behavior which could result in teen pregnancy?  These are issues that have a strong tendency to cut across class or economic lines and analyze the pure state of the problem.

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