NCJ Number
150596
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 18 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1994) Pages: 569- 575
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The pregnancies of 127 poor black females ages 12-18 were studied to determine their experience of physical and sexual abuse and its impacts on them and their pregnancies.
Abstract
The research tested two hypotheses: (1) that previously abused adolescents report more stress and depression and less adequate social support than do nonabused adolescents and (2) previously abused adolescents obtain less prenatal care, gain less weight, engage in more drug abuse, and give birth to smaller babies than do nonabused adolescents. Findings revealed that 33 percent of the adolescents reported abuse prior to conception. Results supported the first hypotheses and revealed that abused adolescents scored significantly higher on stress and depression scales and rated their families as less supportive than did nonabused adolescents. Although no group differences existed in the rate of weight gain or the quantity of prenatal care obtained during pregnancy, abused adolescents were more likely than others to report drug abuse during pregnancy and gave birth to significantly smaller, less mature infants. Results demonstrate the importance of asking pregnant adolescents about abuse. Tables and 26 references (Author abstract modified)