How Much at Risk is your Teenager?

Have you ever wondered how "at risk" your child is for becoming an adolescent parent? Or are you a parent that believes with all your heart that my daughter would never become pregnant or my son would never become a teen father.  The following short "quiz," adapted with permission from the Campaign For Our Children, will help you to look objectively at a child's risk taking behavior as it relates to becoming a teen parent. Based on your answers you'll be given some suggestions that may help you to prevent a crisis. The Campaign for Our Children is a first of a kind not-for-profit organization to "organize, manage and conduct programs designed to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancies in Maryland..."

In your family, are each of the following statements "true" or "false?"

True    False               I have daily conversations with my teen that cover topics other than "How was your day?"             To my knowledge, my teen has not had any behavioral problems in school              When my child goes out at night, they have a definite curfew             My child has never been home later than their curfew             When my child comes home from school, there is a responsible adult waiting for him/her             My teen is or has been involved in at least one extracurricular activity after school              To my knowledge, my teenager does not smoke             To my knowledge, my teen has not experimented with alcohol or drugs              My teen and I have discussed and established rules for dating             We have discussed our family's values regarding sexual intercourse with our teenager.             You are pleased with your teen's choice of friends             If your teen is in a relationship with another adolescent of the opposite sex, the difference in age is two years or less     add up the number of "TRUE" and "FALSE" statements and then press "submit."

As a reminder, this information should not be relied on as medical advice and is not intended to replace the advice of your child’s pediatrician. Please read our full disclaimer.