50 Ways Teens Get Trouble

The Problem
Although the nation's teen pregnancy rate has declined over the past decade or two, the United States still has the highest rate in the western industrialized world. There are about 820,000 teen pregnancies in the U.S. each year.

Despite the fact that our culture has become increasingly tolerant of unmarried sex, unwed pregnancies and single parenthood - and despite the media glamorization of unmarried sex and even teen pregnancy - more than 80 percent of those teens who become pregnant say they did not intend to do so.

So why are so many teens becoming pregnant? Here are some of the known risk factors for teen pregnancy:

• Poor family relationships may result in the lack of a supportive adult role model.
• Lack of success in school performance offers little motivation such as college and a good job that will help to delay childbearing.
• Early sexual behavior maximizes opportunities to become pregnant.
• Early romantic relationships - such as one-on-one dating before age 16 - increase the potential for sexual behavior.
• Disparity in ages - a young teen is more likely to have sex when involved with an older person.
• Lack of information about both abstinence and contraceptive protection is a common problem.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to maintain a close relationship with your child. Sharing activities with him, being there for him, and talking with him - about a wide range of topics, not just sex - is more protective and productive than specific conversations about sexual issues.

When you do talk to your child about sex, include concepts about love and romance, too. It's important that your teen knows that you respect her and that you understand that she is capable of being in love and intrigued by the idea of sex within a romantic relationship. Let her know your own values and tell her that you hope and expect her to be guided by these values. Help her to understand how a pregnancy can interfere with plans for the future, such as attending college and getting a good job.

Most experts believe that discussions about sex should include information about contraception, even if you believe that your child should remain abstinent. The reality is that although teens should be encouraged not to have sex, some will still choose to become sexually active. You can tell your child that when he is old enough for sex, he should know how to protect himself and his partner from diseases and pregnancy.

Proper supervision of teens is crucial, especially during after-school hours and over the weekend. You should know where your child is and who he is with. Teens whose parents supervise them are more likely to be older when they have sex for the first time. But keep in mind that overly strict parental monitoring has been associated with a higher risk of pregnancy.

Encourage group activities rather than one-on-one romantic relationships, and when your teen is ready to date, discourage relationships with teens more than a year older than she is.

Most of all, show your teen how much you love him, and keep talking - even if it seems as if he isn't listening. Parents greatly underestimate their own power in helping teens to avoid an unplanned pregnancy.