Romanticism and self-esteem among teen mothers

Abstract

This study examined teen mothers' romanticism and self-esteem. The Dean Romanticism Scale and the Bachman Self-esteem Scale were administered to 94 mothers between the ages of 13 and 18 in Southern California. The study also investigated the relationship between the dependent variables--romanticism and self-esteem--and ten independent variables--age, age of mother when first child was born, incidence of sexual abuse, incidence of abortion, current sexual activity, adoption considerations, current use of birth control, whether paternity was denied by the baby's father, whether the mother's parents were living together, and the quality of the relationship between the mother's parents. Results indicated that five variables were significantly related to romanticism--whether the teenager had a previous abortion, adoption considerations, current sexual activity, whether the parents were living together, and the quality of the relationship between the parents. Two variables were significantly related to self-esteem--age and current use of birth control.

PIP: The association of selected demographic variables with romanticism (fantasies about love, marriage, and parenthood) and self-esteem was investigated in 94 teenage mothers (mean age, 16.22 years) from a metropolitan area in Southern California (US). The teens' mean romanticism score (as determined by the Dean Romanticism Scale) was 94.72, while the mean self-esteem score (measured by the Bachman Self-Esteem Scale) was 4.06. Pregnant and parenting teens had higher romanticism scores than nonpregnant, nonparenting controls, but did not differ significantly in self-esteem. 5 of the 10 demographic variables--previous history of abortion, failure to consider adoption, current sexual activity, a positive relationship between the teen's parents, and parents living together--were significantly and positively related to romanticism. Only 2 variables--older age and current use of birth control--were significantly related to self-esteem. There was no association between romanticism and self-esteem. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating emotional as well as biological aspects of reproduction into pregnancy prevention programs. Educational activities that encourage examination of the dramatic lifestyle changes associated with teen parenthood could be included to balance romanticism and reality.