Teenage Motherhood in Europe

Authors: Robson K.¹; Berthoud R.²

Source: European Sociological Review, Volume 19, Number 5, December 2003 , pp. 451-466(16)

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Abstract:

Research in many countries has confirmed that teenage mothers and their families are often at a disadvantage compared with those whose children are born in their 20s or 30s. There has, however, never been an opportunity for a systematic comparison between countries, based on a common data source. This paper analyses the current positions of women whose first child was born when they were teenagers across 13 countries in the European Union, based upon the European Community Household Panel Survey. Outcomes considered are mother's employment, family employment, family structure, and household income. The severity of disadvantage on outcome measures varied substantially by country. The findings also enable us to consider the theoretical value of attempts to classify countries according to the nature of their family formation norms.

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK., Email: klrobson@essex.ac.uk 2: Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK.

Publication date: 2003-12-01

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