Who Fares Better?

ABSTRACT

This research used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to examine the factors that contribute to later self-esteem and locus of control for adolescent mothers and adolescent fathers. The sample consisted of 421 adolescents (94 males and 327 females) who gave birth before or during 1979. Few differences were found between adolescent mothers' and adolescent fathers' scores. Findings indicated that adolescent fathers were adjusting slightly better than adolescent mothers, though both have low self-esteem. Mothers had significantly lower (more external) locus of control scores than fathers did in 1979. Predictors of adolescents' adjustment differed between the mothers and the fathers. For adolescent fathers, mothers' education was a significant predictor of self-esteem, while for adolescent mothers, subsequent pregnancies and adolescents' own education were significant predictors.

Key Words:

• Adolescent mothers
• adolescent fathers
• self-esteem
• preganancy
• postnatal adjustment