NCJ Number
194876
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 80 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 1005-1039
Date Published
2002
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This article tests whether adolescent’s expectations concerning their future health and education have an affect on their risk-taking behavior.
Abstract
The authors propose that adolescents who believe they have little to hope for in terms of future success are more likely to be involved in risk-taking behaviors such as selling drugs and carrying weapons. This paper tests this theory using data from the 1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which is a nationally representative study of youths in grades 7 through 12. To evaluate their theory, the authors chose three types of risk-taking behavior and measured the onset of these behaviors: early sexual intercourse, weapon use, and selling drugs. Both individual-level expectations of the youths as well as school-level, or school climate, expectations were considered in the analysis. Other variables under consideration in the study included mental health problems, family structure and welfare receipt, parents’ education, individual characteristics, and regional location. The results obtained from descriptive statistical measures as well as logistic regression provided only marginal support for the theory that low expectations concerning future success in terms of health and education predict risk-taking behavior in adolescents. While not completely predictive of risk-taking behavior, the authors note that their study does add to the body of knowledge concerning risky behaviors in youths. Figures, tables, references