Adolescents and Risk: Making Sense of Adolescent Psychology

Substance abuse, gambling, sexual promiscuity, violence, mental health problems, suicide: all are risky and dangerous consequences of adolescent instability. Through the implementation of psychological research and basic theories, Johnson and Malow-Iroff expertly assess each specific risk behavior as it correlates with demographics, socio-economic statuses, and cultural factors surrounding today's youth. In addition, this book provides resources for handling harmful situations facing adolescents, offering practical and straightforward methods to aid one in negotiating positive paths for those in distress. Parents, educators, and adolescents alike will only benefit from knowing the causes of adolescent risk-taking and the ways of preventing such behavior.

Each chapter is devoted to a specific risk that many adolescents take throughout their teenage years. These include: drug abuse, gambling, sex, violence, and suicide. Johnson and Malow-Iroff discuss the mental health problems that lead to dangerous activities. Each topic explains the causes that lead to these risky behaviors, ways to prevent them, and advice that will be useful to parents and educators in addressing these issues.

PATRICK B. JOHNSON is Professor in the Department of Human Development and Learning at Dowling College on Long Island. Before moving to Dowling, Johnson was a senior fellow and Deputy Director of the Medical Research Division at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. He also was Senior Research Associate at the Hispanic Research Center at Fordham University where he worked on culture and alcohol abuse for over a decade.

MICHELINE S. MALOW-IROFF is Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at Manhattanville College located in Westchester, New York. Prior to joining the faculty at Manhattanville College, Malow-Iroff was Assistant Professor at Queens College in the Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department. In addition, Malow-Iroff is a certified school psychologist and worked in a preschool for children with special needs for eight years providing therapy and support to children, teachers, and parents.