Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Chapter Twelve Problems of Youth Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Chapter Objectives To examine common problem behaviors that can arise in adolescence, and distinguish those that are likely to disrupt the course of healthy development from those that are not To look at adolescent runaways and the types of support available to them and their parents To examine the nature of maltreatment in adolescence and discover the conditions under which this is likely to occur Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Chapter Objectives continued To look at delinquent behavior s in adolescence, identifying behaviors that are normative and those that are not To study gangs and see how these have changed over time and what functions they serve To look at the use of various drugs by adolescents and the potential risks involved To identify common eating disorders in adolescence To look at depression and suicide in adolescence Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Alienation and the Failure to Cope Feelings of estrangement are common and can be triggered by pubertal changes, identity issues and cultural estrangement Runaway youth are frequently abused or neglected by family members Runaway youth suffer from low self-esteem, depression, poor interpersonal skills, insecurity, anxiousness, impulsiveness, lack of personal control Home life is chaotic and characterized by violence Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Factors that Characterize Abusive Families Three home life patterns distinguish adolescents who are abused: abuse may be a continuation of abusive patterns that started in childhood cause may reflect change in the type of discipline used when they reach adolescence cause may be occasioned by the onset of adolescence Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Factors that Characterize Abusive Families Difficulty coping with stress A negative, defensive world-view Inappropriate expectations of adolescents Less supportive and warm partners Poverty Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Juvenile Delinquency Involves illegal behavior committed by a minor Two types of offenses: Status offenses are behaviors that are illegal when engaged in by minors but are legal for adults Index offenses are behaviors that are criminal at any age Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Patterns of Delinquency Varies with age Little evidence that minor forms of delinquency predict later shift to more serious crime A small subgroup of delinquents who start early account for a large proportion of criminal activity Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Gender, Ethnicity and Delinquency Gender, ethnic and social class differences exist Females are less likely to engage in delinquent activities than are male Females are less likely to commit violent crimes Bias within the juvenile justice system is noticeable by the large ethnic differences in the numbers of adolescents entering the juvenile justice system. Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Perspective on Juvenile Delinquency Individual-differences perspective attributes delinquency to individual traits and characters Social contextual perspective looks at parent’s role in shaping traits in their children and shaping social environments Nurturant and involved parenting decreased the risk of delinquency Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Gang Behavior and Violence Juvenile gangs have changed over the past generation More likely to be linked to organized crime Are associated with more violent crimes and the sale of narcotics Teens are twice as likely to be victims of violent crime as are young adults. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for all young people Most are killed with a firearm Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Adolescents and Drugs Physical drug dependence occurs with psychoactive substances Psychoactive substances control behavior making it difficult to discontinue use Dependence on drug involves developing a tolerance for it Increased amounts are necessary to achieve the same effect Withdrawal results when use is discontinued Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Alcohol Adolescents are likely to try alcohol, then cigarettes and then marijuana Alcohol depresses the activity of the central nervous system Loosens inhibitions and makes individuals feel more spontaneous As blood-alcohol level rises, activities controlled by the central nervous system are increasingly affected Most high school seniors have tried alcohol and many do so with some regularity Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Smoking The only substance that a sizable number of adolescents use on daily basis Smoking poses a serious health risk of all drugs to adolescents Those who start to smoke have tried unsuccessfully to stop Smoking is associated with the use of other, illicit substances Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Marijuana Marijuana is a mild hallucinogen that affects thought, perception, reaction time, and coordination Long-term heavy use carries a number health risks Of all illicit drugs, marijuana is the most frequently used by adolescents Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Drugs: Trends The use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana increases with age African American adolescents are less likely to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes then European American or Hispanic adolescents Early adolescent females drink more than males their age Females are as likely as males to smoke cigarettes, but less likely to use marijuana Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Drugs: Patterns Gateway hypothesis: drugs progress through a sequence of stages, with the use of one type of drug providing a pathway to the use of other drugs The extent to which adolescents become involved in the use of a drug is important in predicting progression to a higher stage Alcohol is the first drug used Followed by cigarettes Followed by marijuana Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Drugs: At-Risk Factors Have not adjusted well to home, school, life in general Impulsive Low self-esteem Poor achievement in school Problematic relations with peers Have friends that do drugs Likely to have less nurturing parents Likely to have parents who abuse drugs Likely to live in violent communities Have drugs more available to them Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Adolescents and Drugs: Protective Factors High self-esteem Good social skills Involvement in religion Friends who do not abuse drugs Good performance in school Parents who are warm, communicative and monitor their activities Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Adolescents and Drugs Media campaigns have been effective in changing adolescent’s perception of the harmfulness of drugs The proportion of adolescents using drugs has continued to decline over the past decade Most drugs that adolescents report using were used by fewer than 2% of seniors, with the exception of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana Efforts to prevent drug abuse include: controlling access to drugs, media campaigns school-based educational programs Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Adolescents and Drugs Most adolescents will experiment with some drugs before they reach adulthood Most will also not use them frequently Even casual experimentation with some substances carry substantial risk Candid discussions that acknowledge the pleasurable effects of drugs as well as their potential dangers is effective in providing help to adolescents Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Eating Disorders Standards for female attractiveness show thinner models today than in past generations Problematic trend in that eating disorders are more common among females Bulimia: Binge eating alternated with purging through self-induced vomiting, laxatives, or diuretics Anorexia: food intake is severely limited to the point of self-starvations Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Eating Disorders: Family Characteristics More likely to occur in adolescents who come from families: Characterized by enmeshment Over protectiveness Rigidity Inadequate conflict resolution Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Overweight Adolescents Are defined as being at or above the 95 percentile in weight for their age and sex Are likely to have parents who are overweight Are likely to eat irregularly and eat food that is denser in calories More inactive than adolescents of average weight Treatment includes exercise and involvement of the family Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Depression Is an affective disorder that has a number of forms: Adolescents with major depressive disorders can suffer debilitating depression that can last for several weeks Dysthmia is less severe but longer-lasting symptoms Adjustment disorders experience brief bouts of depression brought on by stress Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Depression Adolescents who suffer from depression have: low self-esteem sadness, hopelessness helplessness Adolescents can mask depression by physical symptoms in early adolescence Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Suicide Nearly 17% of high school students indicate having thought about attempting suicide within the last year Nearly 9% actually attempt suicide Is the third most common cause of death among adolescents Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Suicide: Warning Signs Sudden changes in behavior Changes in sleeping or eating patterns Loss of interest in usual activities Withdrawal from others Experiencing a humiliating event Feelings of guilt or hopelessness Inability to concentrate Talk of suicide Giving away important possessions Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Suicide: At-Risk Factors Depression A prior suicide attempt Substance abuse Life stresses Chaotic family life Most effective treatment programs work with the family as well as the suicidal adolescent Copyright 2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education