This article examines partner violence at the crossroads between adolescence and adulthood by talking with adolescent mothers—young women who straddle that crossroad. Drawing on ethnographic interviews conducted with 30 adolescent mothers, the accounts of 13 young mothers were analyzed to shed light on the ways in which their experiences of partner violence intersected with their developmental stage. Thematic analysis produced four general categories of themes that included physical proximity of family members, chaos at home, growing up in the shadowof abuse, and making the relationship work. Implications for future research and practice are explored.
Banyard, V. L., Williams, L. M.,& Siegel, J. A. (2001). The long-term mental health consequences of child sexual abuse: An exploratory study of the impact of multiple traumas in a sample of women. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14, 697-715.
2.
Berk, L. E. (2004). Development through the lifespan(3rd ed.. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
3.
Bretherton, I., & Munholland, K. A. (1999). Internal working models in attachment relationships: A construct revisited. In J. Cassidy& P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications(pp. 89-111. New York: Guilford Press.
4.
Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women's psychology and girls' development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
5.
Butler, J. R.,& Burton, L. M. (1990). Rethinking teenage childbearing: Is sexual abuse a missing link?Family Relations, 39, 73-80.
6.
Campbell, J. C., Pugh, L. C., Campbell, D., & Visscher, M. (1995). The influence of abuse on pregnancy intention. Women's Health Issues, 5, 214-223.
7.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000, November). Healthy people 2010: Vol. II. Retrieved July 12, 2004, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/HTML/Volume2/15Injury.htm%23_Toc490549392
8.
Covington, D. L., Justason, B. J.,& Wright, L. N. (2001). Severity, manifestations, and consequences of violence among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 28, 55-61.
9.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five research traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
10.
Curry, M. A., Perrin, N., & Wall, E. (1998). Effects of abuse on maternal complications and birth weight in adult and adolescent women. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 4, 530-534.
11.
Gessner, B. D., & Perham-Hester, K. A. (1998). Experience of violence among teenage mothers in Alaska. Journal of Adolescent Health, 22, 383-388.
12.
Harrykissoon, S. D., Rickert, V. I., & Wiemann, C. M. (2002). Prevalence and patterns of intimate partner violence among adolescent mothers during the postpartum period. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156, 325-330.
13.
Kantor, G. K.,& Jasinki, J. L. (1998). Dynamics and risk factors in partner violence. In J. L. Jasinki& L. M. Williams (Eds.), Partner violence: A comprehensive review of 20 years of research(pp. 1-43. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
14.
Kasmner, S.,& McCabe, M. P. (2000). The relationship between adult psychological adjustment and childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, and family of origin characteristics. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15, 1243-1261.
15.
Leadbeater, B. J., & Way, N. (Eds.) (2001). Growing up fast: Transitions to early adulthood of inner-city adolescent mothers. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
16.
Leadbeater, B. J., Way, N.,& Harmon, T. (2001). Relationships that hurt: Escaping domestic violence. In B. J. Leadbeater& N. Way (Eds.), Growing up fast: Transitions to early adulthood of inner-city adolescent mothers(pp. 116-137. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
17.
Levendosky, A. A., Huth-Bocks, A., & Semel, M. A. (2002). Adolescent peer relationships and mental health functioning in families with domestic violence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31, 206-218.
18.
McCloskey, L. A., & Lichter, E. L. (2003). The contribution of marital violence to adolescent aggression across different relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 390-412.
19.
Miller, J. B. (1986). Toward a new psychology of women(2nd ed.. Boston: Beacon Press.
20.
Oliver, J. E. (1993). Intergenerational transmission of child abuse: Rates, research, and clinical implications. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 1315-1324.
21.
Padgett, D. K. (1998). Qualitative methods in social work research: Challenges and rewards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
22.
QSR (1997). QSRNUD*IST software for qualitative data analysis: User guide. Victoria, Australia: Author.
23.
Rabenstein, S., & Lehmann, P. (2000). Mothers and children together: A family group treatment approach. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 3(1), 185-205.
24.
Raphael, J. (2000). Saving Bernice: Battered women, welfare, and poverty. Boston: Northeastern University Press.
25.
Rew, L. (2002). Characteristics and health care needs of homeless adolescents. Nursing Clinics of North America, 37, 423-431.
26.
Richards, M. H., & Larson, R. (1989). The life space and socialization of the self: Sex differences in the young adolescent. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 18, 617-626.
27.
Rubin, A., & Babbie, E. (1997). Research methods for social work(3rd ed.. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/ Cole.
28.
Simmons, R. (2002). Odd girl out: The hidden culture of aggression in girls. New York: Harcourt.
29.
Spencer, R. A. (2002). Hanging out and growing strong: A qualitative study of relationships with adults that foster resilience in adolescence. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: Sciences& Engineering, 63(6), 3046-3046.
30.
pradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
31.
Thompson, S. (1995). Going all the way: Teenage girls' tales of sex, romance, and pregnancy. New York: Hill and Wang.
32.
Tolman, D. L. (2002). Dilemmas of desire: Teenage girls talk about sexuality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
33.
Trickett, P. K., & McBride-Chang, C. (1995). The developmental impact of different forms of child abuse and neglect. Developmental Review, 15, 311-337.
34.
Tyler, K. A., Hoyt, D. R., Whitbeck, L. B.,& Cauce, A. M. (2001). The impact of childhood sexual abuse on later sexual victimization among runaway youth. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11, 151-176.
35.
Wiemann, C. M., Agurcia, C. A., Berenson, A. B., Volk, R. J.,& Rickert, V. I. (2000). Pregnant adolescents: Experiences and behaviors associated with physical assault by an intimate partner. Maternal & Child Health Journal, 4, 93-101.
36.
Williams, L. M. (2003). Understanding child abuse and violence against women: A life course perspective. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 441-451.
