The antecedents of teen fatherhood: a retrospective case-control study of Great Britain youth.

Historically, researchers have focused on identifying risk factors for teen motherhood, largely ignoring teen fathers. This study uses the 1958 National Child Development Study of Great Britain to examine antecedents of teen fatherhood. Teen fathers were compared with later fathers and nonfathers by using epidemiological methods. Results indicate that boys who became fathers while in their teens were at increased risk for experiencing problems at home and at school and were more likely to demonstrate aggressive, truant, and law-breaking behaviors. Many of these risk factors were also evident among those who became fathers while in their early 20s.