Child and Family Social Work 2004, 9, pp 207–215 © 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 207 Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKCFSChild and Family Social Work1365-2206Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004May 200492207215Research ReviewResearch Review: Teenage pregnancy and motherhood: the role of supportL Bunting and C McAuley Correspondence: Dr Lisa Bunting, c/o School of Social Work, Queen’s University, 7 Lennoxvale, Belfast BT9 5BY, UK E-mail: lbunting@nspcc.org.uk Keywords: family support, partner support, paternal support, peer support, social support, teenage mothers Accepted for publication: January 2004 Research Review: Teenage pregnancy and motherhood: the contribution of support Lisa Bunting and Colette McAuley School of Social Work, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide a critical analysis of the role of support in teenage motherhood. Family, partner and peer support are consid- ered and literature emanating from both the USA and UK is reviewed. In summary the research literature indicates that family support is particularly important to teenage mothers and has been found to have a positive influence on parenting behaviours and practices. However, the mother–daughter relationship is not always a straight- forward one and conflict between the two can diminish some of the positive impact. The research on partner support highlights how sup- port from fathers and/or other male partners has been linked with improved financial and psychological outcomes for teenage mothers as well as having a positive influence on parenting behaviours. There is also evidence to suggest that support from partners may become increasingly important to teenage mothers over time and can be a valuable source of socializing participation and positive feedback. While the research available on peer support is much more limited it suggests that the emotional support of peers is perceived as being important by teenage mothers. Current research findings suggest that families, partners and peers tend to provide different, but comple- mentary, forms of support for teenage mothers which, on the whole, appear to contribute to more positive outcomes for this group. INTRODUCTION The issue of teenage pregnancy and parenting has been the subject of much debate over the past two decades, with politicians, researchers and the media in general voicing deep-seated concerns about the consequences of teen parenting for both mothers and children. The high profile of this subject has resulted in an intense interest in the factors which predispose young women towards teenage motherhood and the outcomes for them and their children. Much of this has served to emphasize the negative aspects of teen- age pregnancy, with a variety of interrelated factors such as poverty, low educational attainment, unem- ployment, family background, emotional/psychologi- cal difficulties and a history of sexual abuse being generally accepted as increasing a young woman’s chances of becoming pregnant in her teenage years (Hudson & Iniechen 1991; Breakwell 1993; Kiernan 1997; Coley & Chase-Lansdale 1998; Herronkohl et al. 1998; Social Exclusion Unit 1999). Similarly, research studies and reviews of both the American and British literature catalogue a plethora of negative consequences for teenage mothers and their children which include: short-term and long-term medical risks to mother and child; increased rates of maternal depression; lower educational and employment status; and less optimal parenting practices (Hudson & Iniechen 1991; Irvine et al. 1997; Coley & Chase- Lansdale 1998; Corcoran 1998; Clarke 1999; Social Exclusion Unit 1999; Hobcraft & Kiernan 2001). However, it has been argued that the tendency to approach teenage pregnancy as a social problem has led to an exaggeration of negative outcomes and