Abuse of adolescents: what can we learn from pregnant teen-agers?

One of the most perplexing issues for nurses working with abused women is the extent of violence experienced by teen-agers. This article presents research findings from a study of pregnant women and teen-agers in Baltimore and Houston that found 32% of pregnant teen-agers reported having been physically or sexually abused in the prior year. The rate of abuse during pregnancy was 22% for teen-agers. Teen-age violence is discussed in terms of possible reasons for teen-agers to be reluctant to report abuse and nursing considerations in the assessment and intervention of adolescents experiencing abuse.