Examined pregnant adolescents' choice of adoption. Found that adolescents with mothers who favored adoption and those who had few parenting peer models were more likely to choose adoption. Age, knowledge of peers who had chosen adoption, grades in schools, involvement in comprehensive adolescent pregnancy program, and participation in individual…

Administered Dean Romanticism Scale and Bachman Self-Esteem Scale to 121 pregnant adolescents (ages 12-21). Found that two variables were significantly related to feelings of romanticism: adoption considerations and whether adolescent planned to have child with the baby's father. Two variables were significantly related to self-esteem: incidence…

Explored reasons that pregnant teenagers rarely consider option of adoption. Interviews with 21 unmarried pregnant adolescents and their significant others revealed 4 phenomena pivotal to their willingness to consider adoption: societal sanctions, low level of knowledge, anticipated psychological discomfort, and lack of support from helping…

Examined initial parenting attitudes of 28 pregnant adolescents. Pregnant adolescents scored significantly lower on "expectations for children" construct of Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory than all groups of controls. Adolescents who placed babies for adoption had significantly lower scores on role-reversal measure; differences between…

Investigated relationships among family environment, demographic measures, decision made by unintentionally pregnant adolescents regarding postdelivery plans and certainty with which decisions made. Findings from 175 pregnant women aged 14 through 22 who intended to carry their pregnancies to term revealed that subjects choosing adoption were more…

Notes that literature has been found to be creative tool for helping children cope with changes in their lives. Illustrates how bibliotherapy can be used to help adolescents cope with family breakdown, foster care, and adoption placement. Books are presented that can be useful in clinical practice. (Author/NB)

Assessed family environments of 84 pregnant adolescents who recently made decision to parent or to place their babies for adoption. Results showed that adolescent parents or placers described their families as less functional than adolescent norms. Found no significant differences in family functioning between parents and placers. Vast majority of…

Administered questionnaire to adolescents concerning difficulties experienced with both newly adopted school-age siblings and with other children already in family. Difficulties with all siblings were seen primarily as hassles; however, adoptee was reported as creating more problems than "old" siblings, mostly involving invasion of turf…