MULTIDIMENSIONAL RISK PROFILES ON TEEN PARENTHOOD - EVIDENCE FROM BRITAIN IN THE 1970S

Research on the antecedents of teen parenthood has most often focused on the family of origin as the primary locus for understanding parenth ood risk; however, several theoretical perspectives promote the inclus ion of multiple domains of adolescents' lives for understanding behavi or. Using data from a British cohort who grew up during the 1970s (the National Child Development Study), this study considers the degree to which family characteristics from the teenage years mediate and are m ediated by physical development, psychosocial characteristics, academi c performance and attitudes, and future plans. Multidimensional risk f actors show little variation by gender; however, risk factors differ a ccording to the marital status of the teen when she or he became a par ent.