Stigma, Storytelling, and Adolescent Parents’ Children Nothing to Prove

In this book, Stigma, Storytelling, and Adolescent Parents’ Children: Nothing to Prove,Eryn N. Bostwick and Amy Janan Johnson utilize previous research to take an in-depth look at how experiences with stigmatization and family storytelling influence how those born to teenage parents view themselves. Bostwick and Johnson contend that historical stigmatization of adolescent parenthood manifests in a sense of self-blame and guilt for their parents’ stigmatized status. Additionally, the authors assert that family experiences, like stigmatization and economic struggle, become filters that negatively influence how their children interpret stories their family members tell them. Through exploring these stigmas, the authors explore how they can rid themselves of this guilt and break free of their self-imposed burden. Scholars of communication, sociology, and psychology will find this book of particular interest.