Mothers' differential treatment of their adolescent childbearing and nonchildbearing children: contrasts between and within families.
This study examined mothers' differential treatment of adolescent sibling pairs in 2 family contexts: families with and without an adolescent childbearing daughter. Results based on mothers' ratings and children's ratings revealed that the mothers of childbearing daughters treated all of their children less affectionately than did the mothers of nonchildbearing adolescents. In families with a childbearing daughter, mothers expected a brighter future for and treated their never-pregnant daughter(s) more favorably than their childbearing daughter, and mothers' harsh treatment toward their children was correlated with high financial stress, excessive time spent caring for their daughter's child, and younger children's sexual behavior and drug and alcohol use. Findings highlight the preferential parenting that occurs within the families of childbearing teens and suggest its ramifications.
East
Patricia L
PL
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, California 92103-8449, USA. peast@ucsd.edu
Jacobson
Leanne J
LJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D035781:Siblings / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology