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‘Someone of Your Own to Love’: Experiences of Being Looked After as Influences on Teenage Pregnancy
Author(s) -
Knight Abigail,
Chase Elaine,
Aggleton Peter
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/j.1099-0860.2006.00014.x
Subject(s) - loneliness , feeling , teenage pregnancy , pregnancy , psychology , teen pregnancy , stigma (botany) , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , genetics , biology
Previous research has shown that children and young people who are looked after are vulnerable to poor life outcomes, including early pregnancy. This paper examines how experiences of being looked after may contribute to teenage pregnancy. Using in‐depth interviews, data were collected from 63 young people recently looked after who are aged 15–24 and 78 professionals, across four research sites. The young people reported feelings of loneliness, rejection, stigma and not being able to trust others, emotions which seriously influenced their decisions about becoming parents. The findings suggest that such young people may benefit from a greater degree of emotional and practical support throughout their lives in care. Copyright © 2006 Institute of Education, University of London.