Parent Child Attachment Theory

The topic of teen pregnancy has been studied in a variety of areas, but much of the research focuses on the teen mother. According to Allen & Doherty (1996), “Compared with adolescent mothers, relatively little is known about adolescent fathers.” Parenthood seems to be the sole responsibility of the teen mother. When exploring teen pregnancy one group that is held to minimal standards, and seen to be absent in the parenting process is the teen father. Research has been conducted on African American fathers with respect to their lack of presence in the lives of their children, the negative effects to children due to their absence, lack of provision for their children, and child support issues (Bronte-Tinkew, Scott, & Lilia, 2010; Coles, 2009a; Gursimsek, 2003; Krampe & Newton, 2006).

Overall literature proposes that teen fathers lack a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities as a parent. Not understanding that role not only affect the teen father, but also that child. Lack of involvement between father and child has shown to have educational and attachment concerns for the child. Attachment theory established by John Bowlby explored parent-child attachment. Bowlby work focused more on the mother child attachment. However, overtime research has
There has been a clear indication of a gap in literature in past and current literature. The study will contribute to the literature by providing important information on an under-explored topic of teen fatherhood. Exploring teen pregnancy and African American fatherhood will open doors for tailoring effective prevention programs to educate teen fathers, enhance awareness of parent-child relationship, and address under develop parenting skills. The hopeful findings will educate other professional and practitioners on the area of behavior that influence the African American teen