Risk Taking Behaviors in Young People
What is Risk?
Behavior that harms young people's health and well-being in any way and attitudes. Young people think that a cocoon protects them and that risky situations will not harm them. The effort to prove his immortality, the desire to challenge the world or to be a hero easily leads him to engage in risky behavior. He believes that smoking will not harm him and that he will not become an alcoholic even if he drinks alcohol. Young people with such a structure may engage in risk-taking behaviors on various issues.
What are the Risk-Taking Behaviors Seen in Young People?
* Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Addiction
* Accidents
* Suicide
* Sedentary Life
* Nutrition Habits
* Personal Hygiene
* Unprotected Sexual Life
These are risk-taking behaviors frequently seen in young people.
What are the Factors Affecting Smoking, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Behavior in Young People?
* Familial Factors
* Environmental Factors
* Individual Factors, we can examine them in three groups:
Familial Factors
* Having a parent or sibling who smokes, drinks alcohol or substances,
* Low socioeconomic status,
* Low level of education,
* Encouraging attitudes are effective family factors.
Environmental Factors
* Smoking, alcohol or drug use among friends
* Cigarette and beer companies target young people. It also sponsors youth festivals.
* Low education level
* Low self-esteem is one of the individual factors that affect peer pressure "Not being able to say no". Teaching children and young people the ability to say no is very important in making healthy decisions and creating a strong identity.
* A depressed or stressed individual may choose smoking or alcohol to cope with distress. Whereas feature After a while, alcohol will become a source of stress and a problem in itself.
* Sometimes addiction can occur as a reaction to authority.
* The individuals around him who take him as a model are smoking or using drugs.
* It can also be smoked or used for the purpose of experimenting, curiosity and
* Prestige. Particularly in some brands, smoking can be a means of showing one's wealth to those around one.
* Perceiving entertainment as a brother to alcohol can also be effective. It is important in this period to structure that New Year's and birthday parties must contain alcohol.
Individuals at Risk for Alcohol and Substance Addiction
* Alcoholic or substance abusers Presence of an abusive parent
* Broken or uncaring family
* Low socioeconomic level
* Stressful life and difficulty in adapting to society
* Serious psychological problems Having a problem or disease
* Being exposed to sexual harassment
* Being in a group of friends who use substances can create a risk situation.
Being able to recognize a young person who uses alcohol and drugs.
Being able to recognize young people who use alcohol and substances is especially important for parents and educators. Points to consider in order to help the young person are as follows:
* Change in behavior, change in activity (making unusual friends, changing the environment)
* Change in sleep and appetite
* Difficulty in concentration, apathy
* Extreme irritability
* Dry mouth, decrease in salivation
* Difficulty in speaking, lisping
* Imbalance in walking
* Tremor in hands
* Sweating
* Making unusual friends
* Changing environment
* Avoiding responsibilities
* Excessive spending
* Burn marks on your clothes and bed are among the behaviors that will be a clue.
Accidents and Injuries in Young People
We can consider it in two groups:
* Unintentional Injuries
* Intentional Injuries
Unintentional Injuries
* Traffic accidents; Not using seat belts, drunk driving
* Other Vehicle Accidents; Mot orcycle, scooter, bicycle
* Drowning
* Firearm
* Poisoning
* Sports Injuries
Deliberate Injuries-Violence
* Murder
* Suicide
* War
* Terrorism
* Relationship violence
Risk Factors in Youth Violence
* Familial Factors; The family's attitudes towards violence and the existence of domestic violence are very important. Additionally,
* Environmental Factors; Existence of group norms that support violence
* Individual Factors; Personality characteristics, exposure to violence
* Situational Factors; Easy access to firearms, gang membership
Who is prone to suicide?
* Presence of suicide in the family
* Heavy and humiliating punishments in the family, unrest, pressures
* Depression and Affective Disorders
* Communication problems
* Living alone
* Lack of ability to withstand stress
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* Exposure to physical violence or sexual abuse
* Social exclusion, loss of prestige
* Perfectionist nature, high expectations
Extensive financial problems
Factors Affecting Eating Habits in Young People
* Approaches of fast food chains that encourage high-calorie nutrition
* The media concept of beauty, reduced to inches, can put young people under pressure. Young people who are under pressure may turn to unhealthy magazine diets and engage in an unhealthy weight loss process.
* Eating disorders may occur in the form of not eating or purging what they eat.
Problems Resulting from a Sedentary Life
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Children and young people are drawn into a sedentary life in front of the screen. Meeting with friends in virtual environments and playing computer games are made attractive. Unhealthy nutrition and sedentary life can cause serious health problems for young people.
Benefits of Physical Activity in Young People
Physical activities can serve multiple purposes.
* Heart health
* Muscle endurance
* Bone endurance
* Weight loss
* Stay in shape a
* Coping with stress
* Sense of confidence
Hygiene Problems in Young People
* Awareness of hand washing * Cleaning after the toilet, changing pads frequently during menstrual periods, and changing underwear daily are very important and unfortunately can be neglected during youth
* Not giving due importance to oral and dental health
* Tattoo
* Piercing applications
Problems Resulting from Unprotected Sexual Life
Research conducted with young people on sexual health and It reveals that there is incomplete and incorrect information on reproductive health issues. From the answers given by the young people participating in the research, it was seen that they did not know what sexually transmitted infections are, how they are transmitted, what their symptoms may be, and most importantly, how to protect them. This issue has been neglected for many years because sexuality-related topics are taboo. Young people and children have been left alone in obtaining information. The occurrence of early puberty and the shift in the age of marriage to later years may cause early sexual activity. Along with risk-taking behavior in young people, unprotected or unconscious sexual life during this period can lead to serious problems. Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections threaten young people.
It is necessary to mobilize all relevant units of society in order to support young people in dealing with these problems, to provide healthy information and to protect young people against the risks they may take.
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