CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of study

Baldwin (1950) viewed the teenage stage as a time when sexual desires that had been dormant during the latency phase were reactivated. Teenagers, he added, are on the cusp of maturity, and they must choose an entire way of life, including jobs, ethics, and so on. Individuals must decide what they want to achieve and if they are capable of doing it, he added, and they must accept responsibility for decisions that may shape or destroy the rest of their lives. And, in order to take this autonomous step, people need a strong sense of self-worth and self-esteem, which the current culture does not provide, according to him.The phase or stage of development that separates childhood from adulthood, according to Watson and Lindgren (1979), is known as adolescence. They also stated that determining the boundaries of a teenager is tough: when does it begin and when does it stop? They state that the features of a teenager start to appear around the ages of 10, 11, or 12, with minor modifications. It is most noticeable in terms of behavior and looks when girls reach puberty and begin their menstrual cycle.

Pregnancy is defined by the Longman dictionary of modern English (1995) as the time when a woman is pregnant and has an unborn child growing inside her body. As a result, adolescent pregnancy refers to the time when a female is carrying or has an unborn child growing inside her womb.According to the World Health Organization (2004), a teenager is a person between the ages of 15 and 19, and it is a phase during which an individual is formed and prepared for adult responsibilities. They went on to explain that there are benefits and drawbacks to adolescent pregnancy or having a kid. They went on to state that the advantages are usually connected with better fertility, a healthier pregnancy, and a speedier recovery after birth when you are younger. However, the downside is that your social life, education, and training can all be badly disrupted just as they begin to take off in a new direction. They also claimed that certain teenagers are far more capable of caring for a child than older women, because late motherhood or pregnancy has a higher risk of problems and lower fertility. It's also more exhausting to look after developing children as you get older, they noted.

Statement of problem

Pregnancy among teenagers is one of society's social evils. The existence of teenage pregnancies does not bode well for the development and growth of girls.This is due to the girls' age and the lack of any continuous means of support to care for the children and themselves while they are supposed to be in school. Teenage pregnancy and the parenting that comes with it are said to be associated with shame, humiliation, school dropouts, and, in some cases, the end of the individual's dreams of advancing in their careers.School drop-out or interrupted schooling, falling prey to criminal activity, abortion, ostracism, child neglect, school adjustment difficulties for their children, adoption, lack of social security, poverty, repeated pregnancy, and negative effects on domestic life are among the social consequences of teenage pregnancy, according to Cunningham and Boult (1996).

Objective of study

The following are primary objective of this study

1. To examine if peer pressure is one of the reasons for the rise in teenage pregnancies

2. To assess the effect teenage pregnancy has on the career development of teenagers

3. To examine how teenage pregnancy affect the education of teenagers

Research questions

1. Is peer pressure one of the reasons for the rise in teenage pregnancies?

2. What effect does teenage pregnancy have on the career development of teenagers?

3. How does teenage  pregnancy affect teenagers education?

Significance of study

This study will be extremely important for the government and non-governmental organizations to make contraceptive services more easily accessible and more affordable. Policies should be introduced to permit teenage mothers to remain in secondary school education. Policies that facilitate better health care services for teenagers should be deployed by the government and by non-government organizations. Sensitization programs should be initiated by relevant bodies to educate the populace on the impact of teenage pregnancies. Students in secondary school should be given psychological support to help them deal with peer pressure and societal stigma.

Scope of study

The purpose of this study is to assess teenage pregnancy and its effect on educational and career development of teenager in Port harcourt

Limitation of study

Finance,inadequate materials and time constraint were the challenges the researchers encountered during the course of the study

Definition of terms

Teenager: A teenager, or teen, is someone who is between 13 and 19 years old. The ages vary depending on each country.

Pregnancy: Pregnancy is the term used to describe the period in which a fetus develops inside a woman's womb or uterus. Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks, or just over 9 months, as measured from the last menstrual period to delivery.

Career: Career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life.

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