Risk-Taking Behaviour during Adolescence – Part 1
During adolescence, the human brain undergoes significant change with developmental processes still occurring until around the age of 26. Add this to all the other changes that happen during adolescence, and it is no wonder that this developmental period is sometimes referred to as a period of “storm and stress”.
It is common for teenagers to test boundaries set by parents/carers, teachers, and anyone in positions of authority. The desire to be an individual, to know oneself involves risk taking, but we have a responsibility as adults to ensure the young people in our care learn how to assess risk so that they minimise harm to themselves and others. Discerning what is the right action to take is not always easy for a teenager because their brains are not fully developed. Raging hormones, the desire to belong and to be accepted, the desire to decide for themselves all increase the likelihood that impulsive decisions will sometimes be made. What we strive to do as parents/carers and educators is to equip our young people with the knowledge and skills to make balanced and evidence-informed decisions that will keep them safe, responsible, self-disciplined and resilient.
Substance mis-use and abuse (i.e. alcohol, and other drugs) is an area of risk in which our young people need to be educated. The information below is offered as a starting point in the educative process on harm minimisation.
| Impact | What you can do | |
| Alcohol |
|
Set clear expectations about what is acceptable and unacceptable, and explain why. Rolee model responsible drinking behaviours yourself if you consume alcohol. Research tells us that parents should actively encourage their teenager to delay drinking any alcohol for as long as possible. https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/alcohol-and-teenagers |
| Vaping: E-Cigarettes |
|
Discuss the health risks with your teenager. Educate yourself. Young people are more likely to use smoking products if others around them do. Lead by example. https://cdn.adf.org.au/media/documents/Talking_about_vaping_with_young_people.pdf |
Glenn Clifford
Diretor of Wellbeing
