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EJIHPE
Special Issues
Risky Behaviors Among Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention
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Risky Behaviors Among Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention

A special issue of European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education (ISSN 2254-9625).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 4237

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michelle Burbage

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Guest Editor
College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
Interests: mental health; substance use; risky behaviors; youth and young adult health; underserved population health; global health; health education
Dr. Andrew Yockey

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, School of Applied Sciences, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA
Interests: psychiatric epidemiology; substance use; quantitative methods; LGBT+ health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Youth represent the largest demographic globally, marking a critical phase of development characterized by significant psychological, social, and biological changes. This period of growth is often accompanied by a heightened tendency for risk-taking behaviors, which may extend into adulthood. Behaviors such as substance use, unsafe sexual practices, self-harm, bullying, and violence can have long-lasting detrimental effects on both individuals and communities. Understanding the underlying causes of these behaviors, as well as developing strategies for prevention and intervention, is essential for promoting healthier outcomes among youth.

It is important for researchers and professionals to examine the interplay of psychological, social, and environmental factors that contribute to risky behaviors. Additionally, there is a growing need for innovative approaches to identifying and assessing at-risk youth, and more insights are required into effective prevention programs, intervention strategies, and the role of schools, families, and communities in addressing these issues. Moreover, evaluating public health programs designed to mitigate risky behaviors among youth is vital to ensure their effectiveness in curbing these behaviors.

This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted nature of risky behaviors among youth, focusing on assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies. We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that offer new perspectives on topics including, but not limited to, the causes and consequences of risky behaviors, preventive measures, innovative intervention models, and the effectiveness of public health programs. By bringing together various perspectives, we hope to foster meaningful discussions and actionable solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of youth worldwide.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and to the opportunity to share new knowledge on this critical subject.

Dr. Michelle Burbage
Dr. Andrew Yockey
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • risky behaviors
  • risk factors
  • youth
  • adolescence
  • public health
  • prevention
  • intervention

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 484 KB  
Article
Measuring Cyber Interpersonal Violence in Adolescents: Development and Validation of the CyIVIA Instrument
by Bárbara Machado, Isabel Araújo, Rui Ferreira Jesus, Estela Vilhena, Ricardo Castro, Paula Lobato de Faria and Sónia Caridade
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15(11), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15110218 - 25 Oct 2025
Viewed by 646
Abstract
Background: The growing prevalence of cyber interpersonal violence (CIV) among adolescents necessitates tools to assess its dimensions: victimization, perpetration, and bystander roles. This study develops and validates the “Cyber Interpersonal Violence Instrument for Adolescents” (CyIVIA). Method: CyIVIA’s development involved 253 adolescents, comprising 146 [...] Read more.
Background: The growing prevalence of cyber interpersonal violence (CIV) among adolescents necessitates tools to assess its dimensions: victimization, perpetration, and bystander roles. This study develops and validates the “Cyber Interpersonal Violence Instrument for Adolescents” (CyIVIA). Method: CyIVIA’s development involved 253 adolescents, comprising 146 boys and 107 girls, aged between 11 and 16 years, from northern Portugal. The 40-item Likert-scale tool assesses direct (victimization and perpetration) and indirect (bystander roles) CIV. Analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor testing for reliability and validity. Results: CyIVIA demonstrated internal consistency (α = 0.743–0.851) and a robust multidimensional structure. 56.5% reported CIV involvement, with gender differences: girls showed higher victimization, and boys, higher perpetration. The 8th grade emerged as a key intervention period. Conclusions: CyIVIA is a reliable tool for assessing CIV among adolescents. Interventions should focus on prevention, empower active bystanders, and promote safer digital environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risky Behaviors Among Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention)
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17 pages, 14056 KB  
Article
Empowering Parents of Adolescents at Elevated Risk of Suicide: Co-Designing an Adaptation to a Coach-Assisted, Digital Parenting Intervention
by Alice Cao, Ling Wu, Glenn Melvin, Mairead Cardamone-Breen, Grace Broomfield, Joshua Seguin, Chloe Salvaris, Jue Xie, Dhruv Basur, Tom Bartindale, Roisin McNaney, Patrick Olivier and Marie Bee Hui Yap
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15(10), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15100199 - 29 Sep 2025
Viewed by 643
Abstract
Suicidal ideation and behaviours are common among adolescents. Parents play a fundamental protective role in the prevention of adolescent suicide, but many describe feeling ill-equipped in their caretaking role. This is despite prior research indicating that it is important for these parents to [...] Read more.
Suicidal ideation and behaviours are common among adolescents. Parents play a fundamental protective role in the prevention of adolescent suicide, but many describe feeling ill-equipped in their caretaking role. This is despite prior research indicating that it is important for these parents to feel empowered to emotionally support their adolescent if they are experiencing suicidality. An online parenting program could offer parents flexible access to evidence-based parenting strategies. However, there are limited digital resources for these parents and, further, very little is known about how an intervention could be designed to support the empowerment of these parents. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to explore how an existing evidence-based, digital parenting intervention, Partners in Parenting (PiP+), could be adapted through co-design to empower parents. Four parents who have lived experience of caring for a suicidal adolescent, four young people who experienced suicidality during adolescence, and four experts in youth mental health/suicide prevention participated in four sets of co-design workshops to innovate adaptations to PiP+ to empower parents of suicidal adolescents. Affinity mapping was used to analyse and interpret findings. Three key themes highlight how a digital intervention could be innovated and adapted to empower parents caring for a suicidal adolescent. Specifically, for parents to feel empowered to parent a suicidal adolescent, a digital intervention should support them to (1) “deal with the now”; (2) “acknowledge needs and understand their role”, and (3) “hold hope for the future”. Further, ten sub-themes were developed illustrating different concepts related to these themes. Findings highlight how technological features could support parents to feel more empowered when caring for a suicidal adolescent. In conclusion, the proposed technological features illustrate how digital interventions can be adapted to empower parents in their role of emotionally supporting and managing the suicide risk of their adolescent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risky Behaviors Among Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention)
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14 pages, 559 KB  
Article
Emotion Regulation as a Predictor of Disordered Eating Symptoms in Young Female University Students
by Marina Rojas-Valverde and Elena Felipe-Castaño
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2025, 15(9), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe15090171 - 27 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1994
Abstract
Eating disorders are characterised by concerns about food, body image, and weight control and/or reduction. They are more frequently described in women, and emotion regulation plays a central role in both their development and persistence. The aim of this study was to analyse [...] Read more.
Eating disorders are characterised by concerns about food, body image, and weight control and/or reduction. They are more frequently described in women, and emotion regulation plays a central role in both their development and persistence. The aim of this study was to analyse the sensitivity and specificity of emotion regulation in predicting disordered eating symptoms in a sample of female university students. Non-probabilistic sampling was used to recruit 558 female university students, with a mean age of 20.63 years (SD = 1.88). An adaptation in Spanish of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Spanish version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (S-EDE-Q) were administered. The findings suggested that scores related to emotion dysregulation, emotional rejection, and emotional interference may help distinguish women with disordered eating symptoms associated with food restriction and eating concerns. It is important to have sensitive tools that can identify at-risk populations as well as relevant psychological constructs linked to eating disorders when developing intervention programmes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risky Behaviors Among Youth: Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention)
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