In 2011, according to statistics Canada there 25.7 teenagers per 1000 would fall pregnant between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age. The risks associated with becoming pregnant prematurely are immense. Regarding the mother's health she may face; anaemia, hypertension, eclampsia, depressive disorders if she decides to go through with the pregnancy, the child is at a high propensity to be born preterm and with a lower birth weight (Teen pregnancy, 2012). Socioeconomically a teen mother is also at a greater propensity for experiencing food scarcity, homelessness, poverty, unemployment and unable to complete a high school education. It is well documented that girls who experience sexual abuse are a lot more likely to also experience promiscuity as well, which may lead to a higher risk of pregnancy during adolescence (Ahren, Katon, Richardson & Courtney, 2012). Investigating if there is a relationship between childhood sexual abuse and teen pregnancy is impetrative because as stated above there are devastating effects to both the mother and child when a teenager becomes pregnant, so it can also be assumed that it is also imperative to investigate any risk factors that may put a teenage girl at a higher likelihood of falling pregnant. The perspective this paper will be taking the structural functionalist viewpoint. This perspective is most important because, when young women experience sexual abuse and becomes pregnant and the effects of that pregnancy take effect, a portion of society has failed and the equilibrium is thrown off and society no longer functions as it should.
Statement of Problem and Research Question.
This research proposal will outline an overture to investigate " A Quantitative Investigation if there is a Positive Relationship Between Recurrent Childhood Sexual Abuse in Females and Pregnancy Early in Life." For the purpose of this research adolescent is being defined as being under the age of 12, and early in life being defined as under the age of 20.