Living Without a Strong Father Figure: A Context for Teen Mothers' Experience of Having Become Sexually Active

Abstract

Family dynamics have often been considered central to understanding high risk behavior among adolescents. During a phenomenological study of their experiences of having become sexually active, ten teen mothers shared their personal stories. Some of the information shared represented features of the teens' life-world, or the context of their experiences. One feature of the life-world the participants described, living without a strong father figure, was seen as an important general context for these teens' experiences of having become sexually active. While there is evidence in the literature that growing up with an absent father is related to early onset of sexual activity, the experience of a father who might be present but not emotionally connected to his daughter has not been well explored. Therefore, this research offers a richer and deeper perspective on teen sexual behavior.