Well Lady's it looks like I am the only bloke so far to have a say.
Lets not be too defensive, my thoughts come from another time.
And I learned and grew during that time too.
My big family had left the bush and came to Sydney ,for work.
A sibling had the first of a lot of kids, males from dad to me in our family, a long time ago, took it hard.
But that went the day the young boy arrived.
After dad died I went on to rare him and 4 more of his siblings.
Now treading the tight wire of truth here, but no way I am not saying what I think.
We do handle it better, the real victim however is both mother and child.
And in these days no need for early child births should exist.
It is not! never can be!a women only issue, many men walk away from their responsibility first to the mum then the child and if answers are to come men must be involved.
One twig on my family tree has born many single mums, you may see if you look the birth of that twig, and count the children by double figures, no way it should have happened.
In fact it was very wrong and irresponsible.
Frankly in this case some kids are unwanted.
And my sister? she now mirrors my life raring her kids kids.
While I have highlighted the victims it is to me at least, rare that early mother hood is good for anyone.

There is no stigma in young responsible parents, the social stigma still remains in uncommitted parents and fatherless children. It is not good for the child or the community.

The term "teenage pregnancy" only became evocative 80 odd years ago. Our forebears who had a much shorter life expectancy had to get at it early, so teenage pregnancy was the norm for the masses before then except ,
for the rich who tended not to marry off their kids so early.

From the 1930's to the 1960's Aussie orphanages were primarily supplied the babes from most teenage births because of the social ramifications, oddly in a society that then espoused to follow Christianity but made moral judgments on behalf of the teen. Usually the folks decided that the bub had to go because of what the neighbors would say, today we would tell them to mind their own business.

Most teens keep their kids now because they can receive support benefits and no moral stigma with the demise in religious practice. But single parenting is definitely not a positive thing for the child, that’s the down side.

Most of the support groups for for single mothers today are run by Church groups.

Are most support groups today run by church groups Philo?
Where are the stats or proof for that statement Philo?
I tried to find some on line, but wasn't very successful.

Maybe the few 'church groups' for single mothers that may be out there are trying to atone for the extreme damage their loving predecessors did to single mothers and babies when they were torn away from each other at birth, in the name of a 'forgiving' God?

If you have the opportunity, talk to some teenage mothers while doing your research. I think those who have experience with teen pregnancy may view things differently from those who don't.

I taught a girl a few years ago who had been sexually abused and, consequently, gave birth to a son at the age of 14. I can say with absolute certainty that I will be looking forward to seeing her (as a parent) at parent-teacher interviews in the years to come much more than I look forward to seeing some of the 'stable home' parents.

As one of the last pieces of Year 12 English, our students did a reflective passage. She wrote about how her favourite moment each and every day was picking her son up from pre-school in the afternoon - him running over to her and giving her a big hug. This was tinged with sadness, though, as many of the other mothers saw her in her school uniform and murmured behind her back, judged her and occasionally abused her to her face. With these women in mind, I'd say that large parts of our society are still not more accepting. That their nastiness couldn't tarnish the best part of her day suggests that they should be - while they turn the afternoon kindy run into an opportunity for gossip, cruelty and bitterness, she turned an occasion of gossip, cruelty and bitterness into a genuine celebration of the best things in her life.