>> Support material: Chapter 6


Chapter 6: Youth transitions and youth culture

 

Case studies Video clips Weblinks Further reading Podcasts
Case studies Video clips Weblinks Further reading Podcasts

 

Case study

Youth, risk, and moral panic

Regular media commentary often focuses on the risk-taking behaviour of youth, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, and sexual activity. Such behaviours often become the focus of ‘moral panics’, whereby ‘youth problems’ are exaggerated and sensationalised to create public fear and anxiety. Much of the moral outrage often reflects a double standard, whereby youth are chastised for behaviour that is common among adults. It also stems from a lingering paternalism towards the young as they enter the transition from ‘controlled child’ to potentially ‘uncontrollable adult’ (Coleman & Hendry 1999). The alleged deviance of youth arises from the cultural tension between self-expression and conformity—a classic case of youth exercising their agency in the context of social expectations and constraints.

The focus of public attention (and intervention) is on the risk-taking behaviour of youth, rather than ‘risk-imposing’ factors (Ratcliffe et al. 1984), such as poverty, alienation, peer pressure, or the corporate promotion of unhealthy products and lifestyles (Lupton 1995). For example, alcohol consumption is an accepted part of adult life and a common feature of many social occasions, so the issue of youth consuming alcohol needs to be viewed in this light. Much sociological research has documented the social pressure for conformity among peers, as well as the pleasure of experimenting with risks, which underpin risk-taking behaviour (Lupton 1995). While irresponsible risks need to be avoided, risk-taking is also a key developmental process through which we can learn coping mechanisms, independence, and individual responsibility (Coleman & Hendry 1999).

Dealing with the risks of alcohol, smoking, or sex, are an inevitable part of the youth experience and can play a constructive role in becoming an independent adult. The important point to remember is that risk-taking occurs within a risk-imposing environment; one where ‘adult society often gives adolescents conflicting messages and different sets of expectations about health behaviours’ (Coleman & Hendry 1999, p. 135).

References

Coleman, J. & Hendry, L. B. 1999, The Nature of Adolescence, 3rd edn, Routledge, New York.
Lupton, D. 1995, The Imperative of Health: Public Health and the Regulated Body, Sage, London.
Ratcliffe, J., Wallack, L., Fagnani, F., & Rodwin, V. 1984, ‘Perspectives on prevention: Health promotion vs health protection’, in J. de Kervasdoue, J. R. Kimberley, & G. Rodwin (eds), The End of an Illusion: The Future of Health Policy in Western Industrialized Nations, University of California Press, Berkeley, Calif., pp. 56–84.

Discussion questions

  1. What are some examples of risk-taking behaviour among youth that you are aware of? Why do you think some youth engage in more risk-taking than others?
  2. In what ways does social pressure, or risk-imposing factors, contribute to risky behaviour among youth?