Risky Behaviors in Adolescence

Risky Behaviors in Adolescents

Adolescents engage in a wide variety of risky behaviors in this day in age. Youth engage in activities that put them at risk for serious injury, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection and chronic disease, such as heart disease and cancer ("Despite improvements," 2004). Risky behaviors that adolescents undertake can include but are not limited to substance use, unprotected sex and sexual promiscuity, failure to use seatbelts and helmets, violent behaviors, etc. On addition, problems with school work has been linked to cigarette smoking, alcohol use, involvement in weapon use and violence. Also, frequently "just hanging out" with friends has been associated with smoking and substance abuse. Having close friends who drink or smoke also puts youth at a higher risk factor for engaging in those behaviors (Carpenter, 2001). This paper will discuss how risky behaviors of adolescents can lead to serious diseases, a tragic accident, and prevention.

Risky behaviors can lead to serious diseases among adolescents. Just as nobody means to become addicted to any substance or behavior, nobody intends to become infected with diseases related to addiction. Being addicted or dependent puts an individual at a higher risk than others because their need for the addictive substance is often stronger than their good judgment. For example, if an individual is infected, he or she will often infect those close to them. A situation of that sort compounds the problem. The diseases that are most dangerous and that can afflict our youth today are among the following (Axmaker, L., 2003-2004):

Alcohol abusers are at risk for Hepatitis

Sex addicts may contract a number of sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS

Drug users risk AIDS and Hepatitis from sharing needles

Smokers face lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease

Although some of these diseases may not afflict our youth early on, by putting themselves at risk and in risky situations, they are setting themselves up for the possibility of attaining one or more of these diseases. In addition to the possibility of attaining one of these diseases, adolescents may also attain other ailments due to risky behavior; for example, if an adolescent is of driving age and they do not practice good safety skills, such as wearing seatbelts or helmets, this could lead to accidents by automobiles, motorcycles or bikes, which could end fatally.

One example of a risky behavior that ended fatally is as follows. His name is Mike. Mike was 18 years old at the time a tragic accident that occurred which could have been prevented with better decision making. Mike decided to go for a drive with 2 of his friends in his truck out in the country. As Mike and his friends were driving along, they decided to stop at a store to buy a few alcoholic drinks. One of Mike's friends, Patrick, who was of drinking age, purchased the alcohol and they all proceeded to drink before Mike got on the road again. Once Mike was on the road, Norma, his friend, decided to propose a dare for Mike. She told Mike that she bet him that he could not go really fast around a curve that was coming up. He said okay. As Mike proceeded to go around the curve, he began going faster and faster. This caused Mike, along with his friends to roll-over, in his truck, 4 times. By this time, Mike got thrown out of his vehicle, with the truck on top of him. His friends got out with a few scratches. Mike became paralyzed from the waste down, leaving him to struggle the rest of his life due to this tragic accident. Looking back, with good decision making, Mike could have told his friend no way, in turn not taking the dare, which changed his whole life. Mike is in a wheelchair now and going to college; however, he regrets each day the decision he made on that one tragic day. This is a true story of an individual who chooses to remain anonymous from Texas.

Engaging in risky behaviors is a major, and largely preventable, cause of morbidity and premature death, especially among economically disadvantaged youth. Prevention requires a greater understanding of what individual factors and environmental circumstances contribute to risk-taking, and how these factors can be best addressed through effective interventions (O'Donnel, L., 2002). It is important that youth have strong bonds with home, school and community. Strong and caring bonds are essential. For example, if adolescents feel cared for by people at their school and if they feel like a part of their school, they are less likely to engage in substance use, violence, or initiate sexual activity at an early age. Students who feel connected to their schools often report feelings of higher levels of emotional well-being ("Youth development," 2003).