Multiple Struggles with Violence: Narratives of Latino Adolescent Parents

Problem Statement: High levels of violence and aggression both within the home and in the community characterize the environment in which many inner city teen parents have been raised. The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the processes that lead to the development and prevention of violence as told from the perspective of and as experienced by Latino adolescent mothers and fathers living in San Antonio, TX.
Conceptual Framework: A series of qualitative studies conducted in Southern California with young Latino mothers and fathers led to the development of a theory of adolescent parental protectiveness suggesting that health promotion programs for teen parents could take advantage of inherent protective tendencies to motivate healthy behaviors and thus facilitate improvement in young parents’ lives.  
Methods: The study design used the following sequence of research methods: semi-structured group interviews, semi-structured individual interviews, and individual and team data analysis integrating group and individual interview data. Eighteen young mothers and 15 young fathers, ages 15-23, were recruited to participate in the study. Five gender-segregated group interviews were conducted at an alternative high school site. Seven of these young parents also participated in an in-depth individual interview. Fifty-two percent of the males and 18 percent of the females reported having been in a physical fight within the prior six months. Eleven percent of the females and 21% of the males reported gang involvement.  Transcribed focus group and individual interview data were analyzed guided by grounded theory principles of open and axial coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1990).
Results: Parenthood is catapulting these youth into a state of disequilibrium while also serving as a catalyst for change as they begin recognizing responsibility to others and acknowledging interdependence. As children they were forced to face the pain and struggles of the generations before them. The males have learned to rely on strategies such as “avoiding situations” and “never showing weakness” to protect them from a social environment that fails to support them and often denigrates them. The females have learned to rely on strategies to protect themselves from further abandonment, including “taking care of others” and sometimes even accepting abuse. As new parents they struggle to adapt to new roles, relationships, and responsibilities. They first rely on past strategies to find a solution for their current challenges. These past strategies, however, do not work within the partner relationship. Commitment to the baby becomes a catalyst for change, motivating some of these extraordinary youth to make changes as a father and as a mother. Through a growing awareness that violence can become the norm they try to adjust and adapt in order to maintain harmony within their relationships and their homes.
Conclusions: Latino adolescent parents are highly adaptive and develop strategies to deal with the realities that exist in their world. They naturally develop insight and make changes in their lives. It is sensible to strive to develop culturally appropriate individual and family interventions that address their particular needs and goals.
Source of Support: The UTHSCSA ERC