ASSESSMENT OF THE INFLUENCE OF TEENAGE PARENTHOOD ON SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AMONG MALE AND FEMALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

The impact of adolescent parenting on the confidence and self-esteem of male and female secondary school students in Adamawa State, Nigeria, was evaluated in this study. Teenage parenthood continues to be a major social, educational, and psychological issue because young people who take on parental duties while still in school frequently experience stigma, disruptions to their education, financial strain, and a reduction in their sense of self-worth. The study used a descriptive survey design, guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. A purposive sample of 274 kids was selected using proportionate and straightforward random selection techniques from the population of 320 secondary school students who were victims of adolescent parenthood among 731 schools in the five educational zones of Adamawa State. The Teenage Parenthood Socio-Economic and Emotional Behavior Questionnaire (PPSEBQ), a tool created by the researcher, was used to gather data. Mean, standard deviation, and z-test statistics were used for analysis. The results showed that teenage parenthood has a substantial impact on secondary school students' self-confidence (grand mean = 3.10) and self-esteem (grand mean = 3.08), with no significant difference between the assessments of male and female respondents on either variable. The study comes to the conclusion that, regardless of gender, teenage parenthood has a detrimental impact on students' psychological health and academic goals. In order to help adolescent parents regain confidence and self-worth, it suggests counseling support, skill-acquisition programs for impacted children, and increased family and school-based encouragement.