What Factors Encourage Risk Behaviour?

Risk behavior is a type of behavior that puts yourself or someone else at risk of a serious consequence. For example, smoking 20 cigarettes a day can put you at risk for lung cancer or other smoking related diseases.

Risk behavior is usually demonstrated by teenagers but can be for a number of reasons. Some of these behaviors can be controlled by them, yet some of them cannot be managed, which can make things rather complex. Below are some reasons why teenagers could exhibit risky behavior.

• For love.

During teenage years and puberty, teenagers undergo psychological changes as well as physical changes. This can cause them to feel a lot of mixed feelings that get make them confused and may therefore cause them to neglect their family for others.

• Acceptance or peer pressure.

Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to fit in, either at school or into a particular group of people. In order to make sure that they are accepted by that group, some teenagers may start to show risky behavior that is not the way they usually behave.

• Development of the brain.

Research has been conducted on adolescent brains by many places such as Temple University and the National Institute of Mental Health. Most of this research has shown that some teenagers do not have the capacity in their brain to be completely in control of their behavior. The deficit in the brain affects the areas that control the regulation centers and emotions so behavior that is risky may seem completely normal to them.

• No downside to their behavior.

Some teenagers who exhibit risky behavior actually fail to see why their behavior is risky or bad. Usually they use excuses such as there are young and don't now any better or that they are still classed as minors and cannot be tried for serious offences.