Monday, February 07, 2011

Abusive boyfriends may force some teens to get pregnant

We talked a little about teen domestic violence in a previous post. The eye-opening stats are not pretty. There is something else that needs to be talked about. Some reports are indicating that abusive boyfriends may force some teens to get pregnant.
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Dr. Elizabeth Miller is credited as being the first to make this connection. In 2000, she was volunteering her services at a Boston area crisis clinic. A tragedy involving a patient made her ask questions about teens, pregnancy and teen domestic violence.

Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile
Her questions led to a research study. In all, 61 teens from a low income section of Boston were interviewed. Of the 53 girls who where involved in a dangerous relationship 26% reported that their boyfriends were actively trying to make the girls become pregnant.

Love is Respect has a list of warning signs that could indicate that a teen is being abused. Health care providers, advocates and parents should become familiar with the warning signs. It may be time to ask the hard questions if a teenager is pregnant and any abusive warning signs exist.

Abusive behavior is about power and control. It is not about love. If you are a teen or a parent of a teen it’s ok to get help. The Love is Respect.org link above provides information and resources that can make a difference. 

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