Challenging the stereotype of the teenage mother

With teenage pregnancy at its lowest rate for more than 40 years, a Teesside University academic is challenging the popular stereotype of the teenager mother.

Far from being "prophets of doom" as teenage mothers are often depicted, Dr Lisa Arai, a Senior Lecturer in Research Methods in the School of Health & Social Care, says the majority of teenage mothers enjoy motherhood - and that their lives do not change drastically as a result of having a baby.

New data has shown that the teenage pregnancy rate has fallen to its lowest level since 1969.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show conceptions in under-18s fell to 34,633 in 2010 compared with 38,259 in 2009, a drop of 9.5%.

Dr Arai, who has published a book "Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem", believes that more needs to be done to challenge the stereotype of teenage mothers.

Dr Arai suggests that Government policy has always been anti-teenage pregnancy and she believes that evidence is often "cherry-picked" to suit the agenda.

She says the challenge is in changing the stereotype, making people realise that the teenage mother is not a burden on society and in fact motherhood can be enjoyed at any age.