A report examined the determinants of socio-economic attainment in Germany (especially family background), and compared the results with similar studies in Britain. In Britain, growing up in a non-intact family had a relatively adverse effect on the probability of having educational qualifications to university entry level, and on the probability of non-employment.
Source: Marco Francesconi, Stephen Jenkins and Thomas Siedler, The Impact of Family Structure during Childhood on Later-life Attainment, Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society (020 7823 1123)
Date: 2005-Nov
A paper discussed attitudes to teenage parents reflected in government policy initiatives. It said that policy was based on the false premise that teenage mothers and fathers held individualized, cost-benefit type plans for their future education and employment.
Source: Simon Duncan, What's the Problem? Teenage parents: A critical review, Working Paper 15, Families & Social Capital ESRC Research Group/South Bank University (020 7815 5750)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2005-Nov
Researchers assessed the medium- to long-term consequences of teenage births for mothers, fathers and children, using secondary datasets; and used the results of their analyses to identify pathways by which the negative impacts of teenage childbearing could potentially be minimized.
Source: Ann Berrington, Ian Diamond, Roger Ingham, Jim Stevenson et al., Consequences of Teenage Parenthood: Pathways which minimise the long term negative impacts of teenage childbearing, Research Report RW52, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Nov
An article said that motherhood before the age of 18 continued to be related to a variety of adverse circumstances in adult life, including lack of educational attainment, not being in education/work or training, lone parenthood, and a reduced likelihood of home ownership.
Source: Kiran Nanchahal et al., 'Changes in the circumstances of young mothers in Britain: 1990 to 2000', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Volume 59 Number 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Oct
A report said that services targeted at young fathers benefited young fathers, the mothers of their children, the professionals who supported them, and the children of young fathers.
Source: Enid Mordaunt, Young Fathers Project: Evaluation report, Trust for the Study of Adolescence (01273 693311)
Links: Young People Now report
Date: 2005-Oct
A report said that the rising tide of violence in society was neither inevitable nor universal. Prevention was relatively simple: children who were loved well in infancy did not become violent teenagers or adults. But immature young parents with poor discipline techniques were creating aggressive children.
Source: George Hosking and Ita Walsh, Violence and What to Do About It: WAVE report 2005, Wave Trust (020 8688 3733)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Oct
A report examined the teenage parenting experiences of young parents of black and minority ethnic origin (including young parents of dual ethnic origin) in England. Young parents from all the participating communities placed a high value on motherhood and children. Policy needed to reflect the wide range of experiences of young parents, and a range of services should be provided that takes into account the social norms of the different communities.
Source: Gina Higginbottom, Nigel Mathers, Peter Marsh, Mavis Kirkham and Jenny Owen, An Exploration of the Teenage Parenting Experiences of Young People of Black and Minority Ethnic Origin in England, Research Report RW41, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A report examined projects designed to involve young people in parenting interventions, thereby strengthening parenting protective factors and reducing parenting risk factors related to the offending/anti-social behaviour/truancy of young people.
Source: Cris Hoskin and Sarah Lindfield with Aikta-Reena Solanki and Emily Hill, Involving Young People in Parenting Programmes: Project report, Trust for the Study of Adolescence (01273 693311)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A study explored the educational experience of pregnant young women and young mothers of school age in England, in order to identify what factors, and forms of provision, determined both academic and broader success in returning to (or continuing with) education.
Source: Nona Dawson and Alison Hosie, The Education of Pregnant Young Women and Young Mothers in England, Research Report RW40, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
A survey found that 50 per cent of young carers (under age 18) were spending over 20 hours a week caring for a sick or disabled relative. 1 in 4 felt their education had been affected as a result of being a young carer.
Source: Our Hidden Heroes, NCH (0845 762 6579) and British Gas
Links: NCH press release
Date: 2005-Aug
An article said that the government's housing policies were more concerned with controlling teenage parents at risk of welfare dependency than with giving them genuine support.
Source: Susanna Giullari and Mary Shaw, 'Supporting or controlling? New Labour s housing strategy for teenage parents', Critical Social Policy, Volume 25 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Aug
A report highlighted the need for young mothers to be better supported. It questioned the government?s target to get 60 per cent of young mothers into education, training or employment by 2010, without specific support and consideration of their particular needs.
Source: Janet Harris, Colette Jones, Marilyn Howard and Lucy Russell, Great Expectations, Young Women?s Christian Association (01865 304215)
Links: YWCA press release | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Jul
A report evaluated the work of the five different young fathers projects. It identified key ingredients for successful work with young fathers, and included extensive comments from project workers and young fathers themselves.
Source: Enid Mordaunt, Young Fathers Project Evaluation Report, Trust for the Study of Adolescence (01273 693311)
Links: Young People Now report
Date: 2005-Jun
Researchers said that the number of teenage pregnancies had dropped by nearly 10 per cent since the introduction of a new government strategy. A survey tracked 9,000 young people aged 13-21 across England, and more than 7,000 parents of children aged 10-17, over the years 2000-2004.
Source: Kaye Wellings et al., Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Evaluation: Final report synthesis - Research report, Research Report RW38, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf) | LSHTM press release
Date: 2005-Jun
The conception rate in England and Wales rose by 2 per cent between 2002 and 2003, from 72.2 to 73.7 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, according to provisional statistics. The number of under-16 pregnancies increased by 2.5 per cent, to 8,076. A minister said that the government had reached the limits of its ability to contain teenage pregnancy, and could make no further progress without the help of parents.
Source: 'Conceptions in England and Wales, 2003', Health Statistics Quarterly 26, Summer 2005, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Guardian, 26 May 2005
Links: Article (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf) | FPA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-May
A report presented the key findings from an evaluation of Sure Start Plus, a pilot programme aimed at reducing the risk of long-term social exclusion associated with teenage pregnancy. It said that teenage parents as a whole needed targeted support, and that every Children s Trust should fund personal advisers for them. A related report highlighted innovative practices in the pilots.
Source: Meg Wiggins, Mikey Rosato, Helen Austerberry, Mary Sawtell and Sandy Oliver, Sure Start Plus National Evaluation: Final Report, Social Science Research Unit/Institute of Education/University of London | Meg Wiggins, Mikey Rosato, Helen Austerberry, Mary Sawtell and Sandy Oliver, Reaching Out to Pregnant Teenagers and Teenage Parents: Innovative practice from Sure Start Plus pilot programmes, Social Science Research Unit/Institute of Education/University of London
Links: Main report (pdf) | Brief (pdf) | Innovative practice (pdf) | Young People Now report
Date: 2005-May
A think-tank pamphlet identified a "hidden army" of at least 175,000 school-age children who worked caring for family members.
Source: Young Carers, The Education Network (020 7554 2800)
Links: Pamphlet (pdf) | TEN press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
Researchers used quantitative data (collected as part of the evaluation of the education maintenance allowance pilots) to follow the life course trajectories of two groups of vulnerable young people as they aged from 16 to 18 - young women who had a child, or were pregnant, when they were first interviewed a few months after finishing compulsory education; and young people who had special educational needs and/or a health problem that limited their daily lives.
Source: Kim Perren and Sue Middleton, Teenage Mothers and Young People with Special Needs: Evidence from the education maintenance allowance pilots database, Research Report 629, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar