Risk-taking patterns of female adolescents: what they do and why

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 143 - 159
• Main Authors: Shapiro, Rita, Siegel, Alexander W., Scovill, Lori C., Hays, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.04.1998; Elsevier Science; Academic Press for the Association for the Psychiatric Study of Adolescents; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescents; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Behavior; Behavior Patterns; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; College Students; Diaries; Female; Females; Higher Education; Humans; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Motivation; Patterns; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk; Risk assessment; Risk taking; Risk Taking Behavior; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women; Young Adults; Young women; United States > US; Human; Consumption; Alcoholic beverage; Motivation; Adolescent; Sexual behavior; Mental health; Female; Personality; Drug of abuse; Risk taking; Public health
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1006/jado.1997.0138

A total of 58 college-age adolescent females were asked to provide information about their risk-taking behaviors. Participants completed a risk-taking questionnaire and were asked to keep a diary of their risk-taking behaviors for 1 week. Participants were also asked to provide reasons for engaging in each behavior they listed. Results indicated that participants engaged in a variety of risky behaviors ranging from traditional adolescent risk-taking behaviors, e.g. drinking and sex, to other behaviors not typically included in studies of risk-taking, e.g. interpersonal and financial risky behaviors. An analysis of the justifications given for engaging in the various behaviors were largely goal-oriented (e.g. engaging in a behavior as a means to an end) or reflected a preoccupation with personal needs (e.g. engaging in a behavior to relieve loneliness or stress). These results are contrary to the widely held belief that adolescents’ risk-taking is “mindless,” “aimless,” or mere “sensation seeking.”