Session: Sexual Health, Pregnancy, and Parenting Among Maltreated and System-Involved Youth (Society for Social Work and Research 23rd Annual Conference - Ending Gender Based, Family and Community Violence)

The purpose of this symposium is to examine one of the many effects of family violence: increased sexual and reproductive health risks, often leading to early pregnancy and parenting, among maltreated youth. Maltreated youth become pregnant at rates two to three times higher than their non-maltreated peers, with significant intergenerational repercussions both for themselves and for their children if the family unit is not adequately supported. These sexual and reproductive health issues can be complex and often represent intergenerational patterns; as such, our systems of care largely struggle to address them through prevention or intervention. A comprehensive public health approach that leverages individual, interpersonal, community, and structural approaches to reduce sexual health risk and bolster sexual health well-being is critical to eliminating sexual health inequities in this key-affected population of youth. Thus, this symposium seeks to communicate the most current, cutting-edge research available in the realm of sexual health, pregnancy, and parenting among maltreated, system-involved youth in order to inform multi-level intervention.

This symposium includes five presentations using rigorous methods in applied and translational research focused on multiple aspects of sexual health, pregnancy, and parenting among youth involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. We will first examine how pubertal timing relates to the sexual and reproductive health behaviors of youth in out-of-home care. Then, we will take a population-level view of incidence of maltreatment reports among teen fathers. We will then present two papers examining important aspects of youths' experiences while pregnant and parenting: first, placement trajectories among foster youth who are pregnant while in care, and second, the relationship between disconnection from school and employment and early parenthood among foster youth. We will conclude with the first national presentation of an evaluation of two evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs delivered with child welfare- and juvenile justice-involved youth. Following this symposium, audience members will have a comprehensive view of the state of the science on understanding and addressing sexual health, pregnancy, and parenting among maltreated and system-involved youth.