Risky Behaviours Among Teenagers Essay

Risk Behaviours are behaviours that potentially put a person in harm’s way. It is also regarded as something where the result is unsure. It is important for a teenager to understand this concept because they are in the point of their lives where they are exposed to new experiences and they need to know and understand what is okay and what is going to result in trouble and leave them with life-changing consequences.

Types of Risk Behaviour

• Alcohol Abuse o Drinking at a party and getting drunk

• Drug Abuse o Smoking marijuana

• Violence o Being involved in fights at school/parties

• Suicide o Feeling like suicide is a solution

Factors Causing Risk Behaviour among Teenagers

Peer Pressure

Teenagers engage in what is thought to be “cool”

A drunk person is unpredictable and your behaviour could cause damage to somebody or something.

Risky behaviour has a big impact on your wellbeing and your future. By engaging in risky behaviours, one could be negatively affecting their physical health or their psychological health. These behaviours can prohibit you from doing certain things later on in life (example: starting a fight at school could get you expelled therefore you won’t have an education and you won’t be able to acquire a proper job later on in life). Some of them could hurt the ones around you. If you take your life, you are affecting your “community” and family in a negative way by causing stress and heartache.

Changes in Youth Risk Behaviour

Alcohol Abuse

As stated in the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2008), 34.9% of learners had had a drink or more within the last month and this value has increased from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2002) where only 31.8% of learners had had a drink or more in the past month.

Reasons:

• The learners are more curious as to what comes out of drinking

• Changing lifestyles and parenting