Adolescents are more susceptible to risky behaviors than younger and older peers. The risk-taking behavior is driven by their tolerance of the unknown, which makes them accept ambiguous situations whose outcome is not well defined. There are several risk-taking behaviors portrayed by adolescents.
Criminal Behavior
Delinquency is more prevalent in adolescents than in any other age group. Most adolescents tend to get involved in unlawful behavior such as truancy, underage drinking, and violation of the local curfew. Several factors can influence delinquent behavior among adolescents. For instance, several studies indicate that early pubertal timing may influence criminal behavior among adolescents. The hormonal changes linked to puberty may heighten the risk-taking behavior among adolescents. This is because their physical development does not align with their cognitive development, which results in poor decision making. Also, peer influence and family conflicts may increase the impact of the hormonal and biological changes, which triggers delinquent behavior in adolescents (Dimler, & Natsuaki, 2015). Early puberty also places the adolescent in a demanding situation in which they are expected to portray particular behavior by their peers. This results in their involvement in uncertain behavior, which results in criminal behavior.
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Risky-Sexual Behavior
Another common risk-taking behavior portrayed by adolescents is sexual risk-taking. A risky-sexual behavior is that which may result in undesired outcomes such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). The adolescents seem oblivious of these outcomes. The behavior may be influenced by early puberty and age at menarche. Several studies indicate that adolescents with early puberty timing are more likely to get involved in risky-sexual behavior. This can be attributed to the fact that the cognitive control system is not yet developed; thus, the adolescents are unable to handle the potentially risky situations. Also, adolescents who are younger at menarche are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior (Baams, Dubas, Overbeek, & Van Aken, 2015). This is because menarche places the adolescents at a more advanced puberty status, which pressures them to engage in sexual behavior as other peers. However, their cognitive control is not developed enough to enable them to make sound decisions.
Risk-Taking behavior among adolescents can be mitigated through adequate sexual development education. The adolescents should be sensitized about pubertal development to ensure they understand what developmental changes are expected. This would enable them to appreciate early pubertal development. This would curb peer pressure that often leads to risk-taking behavior among adolescents with early pubertal development. Also, the intervention would mitigate the risk of unwanted pregnancies and STI's, which result from the oblivious behavior of adolescents.
References
Baams, L., Dubas, J. S., Overbeek, G., & Van Aken, M. A. (2015). Transitions in body and behavior: A meta-analytic study on the relationship between pubertal development and adolescent sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(6), 586-598.
Dimler, L. M., & Natsuaki, M. N. (2015). The effects of pubertal timing on externalizing behaviors in adolescence and early adulthood: A meta-analytic review. Journal of adolescence, 45, 160-170.
