Adolescent Risk Behavior and Self-regulation: A Cybernetic Perspective

This book is based on the idea that increasing juvenile risk behaviours – like substance abuse, nonsuicidal self-injury, and antisocial or suicidal behaviour – allow adolescents to fulfill developmental tasks like identity-formation and regulation of self-worth. Narcissistic self-exploitation, mobility tasks, flexibility and the challenges of new media exert social pressure on parental figures, distracting and putting strain on their mental resources, which in turn changes and even destroys the emotional dialogue with their offspring. If children themselves experience neglect and lack of emotional bonding - resulting in a lack of self-regulating capacities – risk behaviours are the consequence.

The book combines different views in the psychological, social and metatheoretical domains. It consists of three parts: developmental problems of young people, diagnosis of risk behaviours in the nosological framework, and presentation of new morbidity with an increase in symptom prevalence. The book also discusses the threat of the acceleration of social processes and the risks of postmodern society.

Prof. Dr. med. Franz Resch: scientific and clinical education  at Vienna university in the field of psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Since 1993 chair for child and adolescent psychiatry at the medical faculty of the university of Heidelberg. Head of the child and adolescent psychiatry clinic at the university hospital Heidelberg. 2001-2003 chairman of the German Society of child and adolescent psychiatry. 1999-2013 chairman of the German League for the Child. Scientific interests: developmental psychopathology, adolescence, trauma, risk behaviour and personality development.

Dipl. Psych. Peter Parzer: Degree of psychology from the University of Vienna. Since 1993 biometrician at the clinic for child and adolescent psychiatry, medical faculty of the University of Heidelberg. Scientific interests: Statistical methodology, control theory, cybernetics.