Discuss about the Risk Taking Behaviours amongst Adolescents.
Modernisation in a world that has no boundaries greatly affects the social factors of the adolescent; statistics indicate that juvenile cases are increasing yearly in Australia (Shoemaker 2017). This paper aims at discussing the risk-taking behaviours in Australian adolescents and the strategies put forward to curb these behaviours. The risk-taking youth behaviours have been of great concern in Australia and are ranked as one of the severe public health concern that requires special attention. The risk behaviours of the adolescent continue to pose a great problem to social amenities, erode families and troubled societies. Risk-taking behaviours denote the trend of engaging in dangerous or harmful behaviours, adolescents at the age of about 14 years are exposed to a variety of social risk. This behavioural issues in adolescents involve; smoking, stealing, drug abuse, gangsters and physical fighting (Goldson and Muncie 2015). The behaviours of risk-taking among adolescent is an issue of discussion in this assignment because, these risk-taking issues have been on a rise in Australia and in the world as a whole. These behaviours result in various short-term and long-term effects impacts to the community, family and adolescents.
Risk-taking behaviours tend to cause more long-term negative effects than short-term effects, and sometime the short-term effects can be long term, for instance certain injuries sustained in accidents can result to amputation of some body parts such as the limbs. The short term effects to the adolescents include; injuries as a result of violence and crush injuries which is an outcome of alcohol intake as well as increased youth deaths due to various unintentional accidents. The long term effects include rise in sexually transmitted infections among adolescents and unwanted teenage pregnancies as a result of indulging in reckless sexual activities, rise in chronic diseases such as cancer during the later life as a result of smoking and drug use and negative effect on the psychological welfare during adult life.
To the family the effects of risky behaviours of the adolescents are mainly long-term, these include; income deficiency (adolescents infected with the STIs or cancer require quality medical care, this process comprises high costs of expenditure, and these expenses are usually catered for by the family members) and trauma as a result of losing their loved ones in occasions such as accidents. To the community the negative effects of these risky behaviours are also mainly long term, for instance, reduced productivity as most of the youths indulge in unproductive activities such as alcoholism instead of participating in practices that develop the society. The increased rates of this adolescent risk behaviours calls for the need of allocation of the governmental efforts and resources to offer appropriate information to the adolescents, relating to the consequences associated with the risk activities (Ellis et al. 2012).
Target audience
The Australian government put in place the Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth (SPIY) program in the year 2012. This program aims to decrease the behaviours of risk-taking in adolescents as well as the associated injuries. The targeted audience is mainly the adolescent aging between 10 and 18 years (Chapman et al. 2013). This group of audience was chosen mainly because the young adults and the adolescents tend to be susceptible to injury as the appreciation of risks and development of a decision-making brain function continues at this period of growth. Therefore, the high-risk adolescents tend to endanger their health functioning and social future and put other individuals as well as themselves at an immediate threat. The parents of these adolescents are also targeted, as there is a great relationship between delinquencies and parenting, research indicates that adolescent risk-taking behaviours are based on the kind of family the adolescent has been raised (Ellis et al. 2012).
Describing the strategy
The Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth program is a school centered intervention program that is meant to reduce the behaviour of risk-taking and injury in adolescents focusing on the age group of between 13 to14 years. The SPIY intrusion involves interactive lessons per week which aim at changing the: interpersonal violence, transport associated risks, and alcohol use. This program was executed in fifteen middle schools within Queensland, Australia; it involved the implementation of a case study. This case study involved the comparison of the behavioural outcomes (including, violence, alcohol use, and transport associated risks) in high-risk adolescents with the low-medium adolescents for a period of about six months. The difference of the results found from these two groups was analyzed by the use of a chi-square (Gouws and Kruger 2014).
The results indicated that the high-risk adolescents conveyed a higher continuous commitment in negative and dangerous behaviours; however, the resultant effects of the risky behaviours are similar in both groups. This intervention looked into the outcomes of risk exposure and age, with the engagement in the negative behaviours consolidating with time. The high-risk adolescents tend to have a stronger inclination towards continuing into the problem, therefore, increasing their possibilities of over-representing the negative effects such as road accidents due to alcohol intake and teenage pregnancies. These high-risk adolescents remain at higher risks of harm due to the greater levels of commitment into the risk behaviours, therefore, need for prompt intervention (National Research Council 2011).
The purpose of the Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth program is to reduce violence among the youths, violence is becoming a great threat within Australia, the various forms of violence include; sexual assault, murder, fighting injuries, rioting at entertainment or sporting events and child abuse (Chapman et al. 2013). Acts of violence are viewed negatively within Australian society (Wallis et al 2015). The program comprises principles of community-based and effective health advancement plans that are applied in the addressing a number of youth problems and the chronic diseases, for instance, the sexually transmitted diseases associated with the risk-taking youth behaviours (World Health Organization 2015). SPIY involves activities that are put in place to reduce and prevent violence in youths, which involves the strategies and setting for youth violence prevention, the main focus of these activities is to destroy the chain of happenings that result in youth violence (Chapman et al. 2013). The program collects and evaluates information required for describing the outcome of youth violence, leading to the management of the problem (Ellis et al. 2012).
Another purpose of this program is the implementation of strategies to avoid underage drug abuse including; alcohol intake has become a great public health condition amongst the Australian adolescents (Hemphill et al. 2011). This school-based tactic which involves courses that target the prevention of tobacco and alcohol use among the young adults has greatly reduced drug intake among the adolescents. This program also involves extracurricular activities that campaign for the prevention of alcoholic intake strategies among the youths. The program also comprises the involvement of the adolescents’ families in the drug abuse prevention plans (World Health Organization 2015). The policy approaches include the increase of the minimum legal age of drinking, therefore, reducing the social and commercial access of adolescents to drugs.
The third purpose of this strategy is the avoidance of transport associated risks among the adolescents; the program comprises the creation and assessment of the Plan a Safe Strategy (PASS) program. The aim of the PASS program is to weaken the intentions of the students to drink while driving, or to be passengers of drivers who are drunk. The PASS program also reinforces the students’ intentions to apply other strategies in avoiding road accidents (Sawyer et al 2012). Lessons are offered to students aging between 13 to 14 years to make them aware of the program and the risk avoidance strategies. Creation and evaluation of the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety’s Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth program (2012) helps to integrate the prevention of cognitive behaviour with the training of first aid strategies whose objective is to inspire peer protection and reduce risk-taking behaviour in adolescents.
The enablers
Severity of the injury and the burden of the population; the number and severity of a possible injury, for example the accidents that occur as a result of drinking and driving this is an enabler to the implementation of the strategies of Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth (2012) program. This motivates the youths in knowing the various first aid skills to be undertaken in case of an injury (Hyder and Lunnen 2013).
The evidence of Risk Reduction and Preventability; the presence of adequate evidence of how the SPIY program is transforming lives, particularly the lives of adolescents is a strong enabler towards implementing the program in schools and various governmental institutions in Australia (Wallis et al 2015).
The disposal of Surveillance statistical data; the availability of Surveillance statistical data systems that show up-to-date evidence data will be a great step towards implementing the strategy as the adolescents is monitored to ensure they follow the required strategies put in place to prevent the transport associated risks (Catalano et al 2012).
The availability of the program in other jurisdiction is a great enabler for the implementation of the SPIY program. This is because the people are already aware of the strategies and the ‘good’ that is associated with the plans of the program this makes it easier for the acceptance of the program in the society. Therefore, increase in access to the program in schools since there is compulsory schooling of children (13-14 years).
Time is an enabler towards the implementation of the SPIY program, the development, and analysis. The implementation of the program can be of high demand when someone from a high profile status is affected and the program will be easily accepted in the governmental institutions such as schools (World Health Organization 2015).
Enforcement; the existence of corporate donations and community set promotions avert the equipment costs, therefore, enabling the implementation of the program. The government is also providing great support in form of resources and money, therefore, enabling the implementation of SPYI in various schools (World Health Organization 2015).
Barriers
The combined views that oppose the topics of injury prevention are barriers to the implementation of the strategy, there has been the disagreement from the adults towards the use of helmets such as the bicycle helmets, as they believe to be more skilled in riding than the children, however, the implementation program requires collaboration of all individuals as the children tend to copy the adults’ ways of behaving. The bicycle helmet application plan is said to be a good idea towards reducing the possibility of head injuries that are severe, however, there are mixed reactions towards this implication (Cao, Chen & Wang 2014). The misunderstanding on where the strategies should be implemented, whether in the urban areas or rural areas is also a barrier towards the promotion of the SPIY program (2012). It is also thought that these protective programs affect the physical activities negatively as they limit the ‘activeness’ in the children and this has posed a great barrier towards the implication of the program.
Enforcement; inadequate enforcement poses a great barrier towards the implementation of the strategy; there has been skepticism about the execution of the program in schools or in other institutional facilities such as hospitals. There have been very few enforcement programs to ensure reduction of risk-taking behaviours in Australia (World Health Organization 2015).
Severity of the injury and the burden of the population; research indicates that a low burden of the population in a barrier to this strategy since the implementation of the program, for instance, putting on a helmet while cycling to avoid transport associated risks, would only be of effect to a small population portion (Hyder and Lunnen 2013).
The evidence of Risk Reduction and Preventability; lack of strong evidence indicating the legislative effectiveness in avoiding injuries in adolescents are identified as the significant barrier to the implementation of the SPIY strategies (Catalano et al 2012).
The disposal of Surveillance statistical data; the absence of up-to-date surveillance data systems is thought to be an obstacle towards the use of cellphones while driving as well as of bicycle helmets regulation, this has increased the number of crush accidents as a result of careless using of the cell phones while driving or cycling (Catalano et al 2012).
The equipment costs, for instance, the first aid kits used in training the adolescents as well as the manpower costs for paying those training this adolescent poses a great barrier towards the implementation of the program. Even though the program has a lot of positive outcome in the behaviour of the youths, the costs to be incurred to ensure the smooth running of the program might be very high and this might result to the failure of the occurrence of the program in some institutions (Cao, Chen & Wang 2014).
Role of nurse
There are various roles of nurses in ensuring the implementation of the Skills for Preventing Injury to Youth program. The roles of these nurses include those for the family which are: Strengthening and supporting functioning of the family, promoting the improvement of a sustainable correlation with the caring adults and making the communities supportive and safe for the youths and children. Those for the adolescents are: Increasing the association between schools and students, promoting the participation in the high quality school schedules, offering the youth and children education of high quality during their middle and early childhood, providing the youths and children with the chances to enhance their emotional and social competence (Maurer and Smith, 2013).
In strengthening and supporting the functioning of the family; the nurses have a role to teach the parents on how to withstand stress, eradicate coercive associations, reward affirmative behaviours and communicate expectations clearly with their children. Positive parenting techniques have been found to be an essential strategy towards deterring risky behaviours among the adolescents (Gitterman 2014.). These nurses teach the teen mothers on positive skills of partnering and supporting their young children improves the long-term social growth of the health outcomes that are reproductive and the development of children. The creation of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program ensures the assistance of the mothers with children who are still young has shown great positive effects towards the young mothers, for instance, decreased rates of repeated pregnancies, decrease in smoking as well as improved care for their children (Zolkoski and Bullock 2012). The nurses also teach the parents of the adolescents in being the good role models to their children they do so through conducting conferences that discuss on how effective parenting should be done. Ellis et al. (2012) states that, that adolescent risk-taking behaviours are based on the kind of family the adolescent has been raised, therefore, there is need for educating parents on good parenting skills. The nurses’ role can involve advising parents to avoid drinking alcohol in presence of their children, as children, particularly, the teenagers tend to look up to their parents as role models this confirms the statement that, there is a great relationship between delinquencies and parenting (Ellis et al. 2012).
In offering the youth and children education of high quality during their middle and early childhood; primary school nurses have been employed to provide early and high-quality education as well as care for the children, this step is taken ensure the children grow up with adequate knowledge and therefore fewer incidences of dangerous sexual behaviours and drug abuse when they grow up to the adolescent stage. Intensive programs for early childhood greatly advance the early features of a healthy-social growth in children, therefore, decreasing the risk-taking behaviours during adolescence (Shonkoff et al 2012).
Increasing the association between schools and students is another role of nurses, particularly the secondary school nurse. These nurses link the health information with education that has positive impact towards reducing the risk-taking behaviours among the adolescents. Youths and children who sense a connection to their educational centers are expected to be rarely bullied or be involved in bullying or to be part of various delinquent behaviours as well as abuse drugs. Durlak et al. (2011) states that, the character learning programs have been implemented to enhance positive values such as showing respect, supporting and caring for others as well as displaying empathy. Shonkoff et al. (2012) indicates that, the Positive Action Program involvement decreases school bullying, misconduct, substance use, early sexual behaviours, and truancy which are the characteristic behaviours of alcohol intake among adolescents.
In making the communities supportive and safe for the youths and children, the nurses ensure a supportive and safe environment for the children and youth to enhance decrease in drug abuse, engagement in violence, sexual behaviours, and school dropping activities (Stanhope &Lancaster 2015). This strategy involves intervening and connecting with risky behaviour participant, work together in changing their behaviour and connecting these individuals to required resources this has enabled a decrease in the adolescent risk-taking behaviours within Australia. The nurses ensure that the talented youths are referred to other resources such as institutions that focus on talent development, this step allows the adolescents to focus on productive activities such as sports instead of indulging in alcoholism (Stanhope &Lancaster 2015).
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is a common theme that an increasing focus on adolescence is warranted, with a need for research to understand the epidemiological, sociodemographic determinants and effectiveness of intervention in regards to risk-taking behaviours in the adolescents. The high-risk behaviours in the adolescents usually have a common origin and they co-occur, for this reason the need for the improvement of the risk behaviours outcomes among the youths might need an approach that is more integrated between the nurses, other health practitioners, the community, school, family, peer and the government (Pena et al 2012). This assignment has explored the risk-taking behaviours in youths and their outcomes, the strategy put forward to reduce it and the nurses’ and families role in reducing these behavioural risks.
References
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Chapman, R.L., Buckley, L., Sheehan, M. and Shochet, I.M., 2013. Pilot evaluation of an adolescent risk and injury prevention programme incorporating curriculum and school connectedness components. Health education research, 28(4), pp.612-625.
Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D. and Schellinger, K.B., 2011. The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta?analysis of school?based universal interventions. Child development, 82(1), pp.405-432.
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