NCJ Number
143992
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1993) Pages: 153- 168
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Forty-one high school students assessed each of 30 activities (e.g., smoking, drinking, drug use, and sex) on each of 14 characteristics of perceived risk and perceived benefit.
Abstract
Participants also indicated whether or not they themselves participated in the activities. Adolescents who participated in an activity perceived the risks to be smaller, better known, and more controllable than did nonparticipants. Participants also perceived greater benefits relative to risks, greater peer pressure to engage in the activity, and a higher rate of participation by others. The study found that juveniles who engage in one form of risk-taking behavior are relatively more likely to engage in another. The finding that those who engage in risky activities tend to perceive the risks as well-known raises questions about the potential effectiveness of information and educational programs designed to discourage youth from engaging in risk-taking behaviors. Among the recommendations for future related research is the suggestion that longitudinal studies be designed to assess the development of perceptions and to determine if the perceptions associated with risk-taking behaviors occur prior to engagement in the behaviors and thus can be used to predict the onset of these behaviors. 6 tables, 1 figure, and 27 references