Hopes and fears: teenage mothers’ experiences of intimate partner violence

Research has shown that pregnancy and motherhood increase the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) — physical, sexual and emotional — in relationships. Much of this research, however, explores this issue in relation to adults and little attention has been given to the experiences of pregnant teenagers or teenage mothers in violent relationships. This paper focuses on three main areas to explore this, disadvantage, sexual negotiations and stigma, and draws upon interviews conducted by the authors with 16 teenage mothers in the UK as part of a wider study about IPV in the relationships of disadvantaged young people.