Krystal Cooper

Professor Carty
English 1102
24 November 2014
Teenage Pregnancy: & its Effects on Identity
When one becomes a mother their entire lifestyle changes and their world begins to
revolve around their newborn baby. Some may argue that this isnt a difficult change in life
because they were prepared. However when a teenage girl has an unplanned pregnancy it has an
overwhelming effect on their life. When one becomes a teen mom there will be many things that
she will have to give up and her schedule may become very demanding and hard to handle. Not
only will she be forced to give up normal teenage activities but she will also have to mature
faster than most teens by taking on adult responsibilities which causes her to miss out on her own
childhood, but this does not mean her life is over. In the social jungle of human existence there
is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity (Erik Erikson). One of the most important
things in life which is ones identity, becomes blurred to a young mother by the change in her
physical appearance, social standing, family problems, and her mental and emotional health.
Teenage mothers tend to have a lot of questions about their identity and who they are as a
person after they give birth. Identity is a persons own sense of self, or how they view
themselves. When a teen mom loses their sense of self other problems may arise and this plays a
huge role in behavior once a teenage girl has an unplanned pregnancy. Its easy for young
mothers to lose their sense of identity in the midst of their new life; and just about every aspect
of their normal teenage lives changes right before their eyes. This can mean a number of
different things such as her confidence level, peer groups she associates herself with, or how

emotionally stable she may be. Another factor that has an effect on young mothers is getting
themselves wrapped up in how others perceive their identity (Males, 556).
When doing a little research I had the opportunity to interview a friend by the name of
Jhade McKinnie who is now a teen mother. Before pregnancy Jhade was very active both in her
community and her High School. In school she was a popular girl on the Varsity Cheerleading
Team, an honor roll student, and was known for her kind outgoing personality. In her community
she was involved in organizations, community service, and in her church. Its safe to say that she
was a pretty good kid and even came from a strong supportive family. My purpose for
interviewing her was to get the view point of a teen mom that that didnt necessarily fit how
statistics usually portray teen mothers (McKinnie, Interview).
When asked what the hardest part of being a teen mom was she responded with; For me
it was difficult going to school, juggling work, trying to maintain my social life, and take care of
my newborn babyeverything I did seemed to be exhausting and hard to deal with (McKinnie,
Interview). She explained how she lost friends along the way because of judgment from not just
them but their parents as well. Some of the people she thought she could count on to be there
completely changed and looked at her in a negative light. This here exemplifies how much ones
identity is affected socially. Jhades whole life did a complete 360 in a matter of nine months
leaving her confused, frustrated, unwanted, and loved by her child all at the same time. She also
said that after she delivered her baby she felt out of shape and obese and she began to lack selfconfidence. There were many days I came home and just cried because I barely recognized
myself and didnt know what to do with my new life or my new body (McKinnie, interview).
Even through all of the pain and suffering Jhade finally realized there is life after becoming a
teen mom. She is now enrolled in a community college and taking care of her baby with the help

of her mom and family to make sure she can provide the best life to her child that she possibly
can (McKinnie, Interview).
Simply put the reality of being a teen mom is nothing what people expect and it has an
overwhelming emotional effect on both the mother and father (Bunting, 297). When a teenage
girl becomes pregnant it affects every aspect of her mental and physical well-being during and
after pregnancy. When the mother and father first finds out she is pregnant they may experience
intense emotions such as; confusion, excitement, fear, frustration, and resentment. Often times
these teen mothers may even contemplate suicide, running away from home, or dropping out of
school (Theobald, How Does Being a Teen Mom: Emotional Effects). In fact teenage pregnancy
is the leading reason teen girls drop out of high school, leaving only one-third of them to
graduate and a little over one percent to earn an actual college degree (Dr. Phil, The Real Teen
Mom: Alarming Statistics). Not earning an education also affects their identity because this
means they will not qualify for most jobs to earn enough money to provide a healthy caring
lifestyle for their new baby because of a lack of funds.
Not all teen moms come from a place Jhade did and not all stories are that simple. When
researching Teenage Pregnancy I came across an interview of with a nineteen year old girl by the
name of Danielle Anders. This young mother came from a divorced family and was actually a
victim of abuse from both her mother and father throughout her life. Due to this she was placed
in foster care and was bounced from home to home. When living in foster care she noticed that
living with other troubled violent teenage girls was not the best environment to live in and raise
her new born baby. She did some research and came across a group home called Hope House.
They took her in one month after delivering her baby and changed her circumstances for the
better. Her experience there was life changing and in her words They taught me how to

overcome my fears and to not let anything stop me from reaching my goals, they taught me to
not me ashamed of who I am (Anders, Interview). Anders and her baby were able to live there
for one year and ten months until she could get on her feet. With their guidance and help she
made new friends that felt more like family, learned how to voice her opinions in a better
manner, and stopped hashing out in a violent way, and she was changed all around into a better
person. After moving out of Hope House she got two jobs and became a youth mentor for other
teenage girls going through similar situations. For Danielle Anders having a child at the age
nineteen was a blessing in disguise and for one of the first times in her life she was able to
express her sense of self without being ashamed (Anders, Interview).
Taking care of a child at a young age is not as easy as it sounds especially when one
doesnt have the proper resources. Teen mothers face many challenges and it takes hard work
and effort to overcome the many obstacles that get in the way. If more young women are aware
of contraceptive methods they will be able enjoy their teen years. According to David Brooks
from 1991 to the current year birth rates have declined fifty-two percent due to more teens being
aware of contraceptives and waiting to engage in sexual activity later in their life. This goes to
show that not every teenage girl is at risk of getting pregnant if she is introduced to the proper
ways of managing this issue. On the other hand for those that do become pregnant the key to
maintaining their identity and sense of self is to not let their circumstances define who they are.
It is possible for them to continue to live their life if they truly believe that anything is possible,
if you can imagine it you can achieve it and if you can dream it you can become it and thats
what is most important.

Works Cited
Bunting, Lisa and McAuley, Colette. Research Reviews: Teenage Pregnancy and parenthood:
The role of fathers. Child & Family Social Work 9.3 (2004): 295-303. Print.
Males, Mike. Schools, Society, and Teen Pregnancy. The Phi Delta Kappan 74.7 (1993):
556-568. Print.
Mckinnie, Jhade. Personal Interview. 5 October 2014.
Brooks, David. Stairway to Wisdom. New York Times, 15 May 2014 late ed.: A1. Print.
Theobald, Donna. How does being Pregnant Affect a Teenage Mother.
www.pregnancy.lovetoknow.com. (2006-2014).
Dr. Phil. The Real Teen Mom: Alarming Statistics. www.drphil.com. (N/A)
DigPartyProdctions and Anders, Danielle. Interview with a Teen Mom by DigPartyProductions
And Danielle Anders. Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 13 July 2011. Web.