Teen pregnancy can be attributed to low income families, single parent families, and welfare recipients. The main factor in doing this is to review the socio-economic consequences and factors that contribute to teen pregnancy. Research has emphasized the importance of considering racial, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic variables. Research indicates that women who become teenage mothers, as apposed to women who withhold childbearing past their teen adolescent years, are more likely to be socio-economically disadvantaged.
Everyone questions why children are having children? Or Why are teens in such a rush to have sex? These are topics on talk shows and at meetings. With children as young as 12 having sex and sometimes getting pregnant as a result, it is so complex to answer these questions. There are many theories expressed by adults who work with pregnant teens. Trying to pinpoint this social problem amongst adolescents that researchers interview, they found similarities. They cited neglect, abuse, and moral neglect. Several of the teens admitted that they were lonely, they lacked self-esteem, peer pressure, absent parents, single mothers, sexual and physical abuse, drugs, and a lack of a father figure. To get an even broader perspective on trends in early pregnancy, researchers traced the history of the U.S. from 1940 to1993, to point out the economic realities of the 90s. According to Mike A. Males, author of The Scapegoat Generations, he cites a depressed wartime birthrate, the postwar baby boom, the sexual revolution based in part on the widespread use of the birth control pill and the legalization of abortion and the increase in divorce and unwed births, and the steady decrease in the age of puberty. He also notes that the increase in the unmarried birthrate among women age 20-44 was reflected in the increase in the unmarried birthrate among teen women (ages 15-19). The adult behavior was imitated by the teens.