Lesson/Chapter 7: Risky Behavior Of Adolescents

SUMMARY:

It has long been believed that adolescents are more prone to participating in
dangerous activities during this time. The nature of teenage risk-taking is the first topic
covered in this chapter. The discussion then shifts to the three behaviors—drinking,
smoking, and sexual behavior—and their associated health effects that the committee
specifically chose to include in this study.

Risk is the likelihood that an environmental danger will have a negative impact on
the person. Risk-taking is the act of trying something despite the possibility of failure. A
typical aspect of teenage growth is taking risks. It is characterized as engaging in
potentially harmful actions for one's health without realizing the potential effects or despite
being aware of them.

The Department of Health recognized the following health hazards in its Adolescent
and Youth Health Policy (2000): drug abuse, premarital sex, early childbirth, abortion,
HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, malnutrition, and mental health.

The following are the identified sexual risks that were discovered among developing
Filipino adolescents: One in three had had sexual experience. They also have sex at
earlier ages: guys have their first sexual encounter at 17.6 years old, while girls do so at
18.1 years old. One in 50 people and one in four people had their first sexual experience
before the age of 18. In situations of first premarital intercourse, seven out of ten people
are not protected from unwanted pregnancy and STIs like HIV-AIDS. The Filipino
youngsters have also been seen to give birth at younger ages. 7.1% of women aged 15 to
19 are now moms, reflecting the significant rise in adolescent fertility during the preceding
ten years. With age, the percentage of women who started having children rises: 2.0% at
age 16, 31.2% at age 19. Among all the national religions, teenage fertility is the lowest.

Gender disparities tend to be considerably more prominent in dangerous sexual

activities. An increased risk of contracting HIV has been discovered in female teenagers
who engage in early onset, frequent, and unprotected sexual activity. The likelihood of an
early sexual debut is twelve times higher for those who use two or more illicit drugs. Males
who use drugs, including cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, are also more likely
to engage in unprotected sexual activity. Male injectable drug users are less likely to
perceive the risk of HIV transmission through casual sexual contact than female injection
drug users do. Public health professionals have determined that the most effective
treatments will be those that are both gender- and culture-specific as a result of these
observed variances.

INSIGHT:
 It's normal for young people to crave new experiences, and taking risks is a
common aspect of maturing, testing boundaries and skills. the reason why risky behaviors
including unprotected sex, drug and alcohol abuse, reckless driving, illegal activities,
truancy, and fighting should be of concern. We must make an effort to redirect teens'
demands for risk-taking and thrill-seeking into constructive pursuits if we are to lead them
in their curiosity. Teenagers who take risks can be kept safe by clear communication,
adherence to rules, role modeling, and supervision.

Particularly for those youngsters who are unaware of the implications of their
reckless behavior, this chapter acts as an eye-opener. Teens today are more interested in
discovering their own limitations and skills as well as the boundaries that society has set for
them, thus while taking risks is relatively typical in adolescence, most teenagers won't go
too far with it. Some teenagers truly like the "rush" of thrills, danger, and adventure.
Additionally, the majority of youngsters seek to demonstrate their strong moral principles
and sense of identity. All of it is a necessary step on their journey to taking accountability,
creating identities, and developing into autonomous young people.

Teenagers are also occasionally more inclined than adults to make snap
judgments without considering the repercussions. This is due to the fact that planning and
impulse control-related areas of the teenage brain don't fully develop until about age 25.
Teenagers may also perceive risk differently than do adults. This indicates that they don't
perceive any actual risk in what they're doing. Additionally, youngsters may take dangerous
risks in order to feel like they belong to a group. They want to put on a show, make an
impression, brag, or do what they perceive to be "normal" for their group.

Teenagers occasionally behave impulsively. Here are some suggestions for

motivating teens to consider the effects of their actions and practice safety. Keep an eye on
your child, remain in touch with them, develop a large social network for them, and assist
them in managing peer pressure by talking to them about behavior and consequences,
setting rules together, discussing values, and keeping an eye on them.