| Adolescent mothers are catapulted from being a child, to entering the adult world of motherhood psychologically unprepared. The transition from adolescence to adulthood for African-American women has had little empirical exploration. Children born to adolescent mothers are typically born in poverty and raise their own children in poverty. Without job skills, these mothers drop out of high school and receive welfare benefits to survive. The present study was designed to answer the question: How are some African-American women able to become self-sufficient, extricating themselves from the welfare system without recidivism? This study examined factors that supported their exit from the welfare system and eventual economic self-sufficiency.;The participants were 78 African-American women previously adolescent single-parents on welfare, now ages 25 to 58. All had become mothers between the ages of 14 and 19. Each participant responded to a Survey Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), and the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966). Four women were interviewed individually, to record their life stories.;Results included familial, economic, and social factors. The findings illuminated their psychosocial development, including racial and ethnic identity, self-efficacy, locus of control, perseverance, and the coping strategies used by these women as they took charge of their lives, developed personal goals, and implemented successful plans of action.;Implications were discussed for clinicians, educators, and welfare policy makers. Clinicians can develop therapeutic approaches that include strengthening existing coping skills and social supports for single-parents. Educators can develop strategies to implement educational programs that elevate academic achievement and promote self-sufficiency by adolescent mothers. Public policy makers must understand connections between the individuals and the policies that they are reforming so they can create effective models for welfare exit programs. Exploration of the impact on African-American children, whose single-parent mothers pursued a higher education while they were growing up, was suggested for future research. |
