Determinants of Risk-Taking Behaviour in Young People: Implications for Innovative Interventions

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence is an important period in life where knowledge, skills and practices are shaped that have impact on life prospects and chances. In this developmental phase, the complex interplay of biological, psychological and social changes results in new opportunities, but also in increased vulnerabilities. The focus here is on young people between 10 and 25, because nowadays adolescence tends to start earlier and last longer. In this period, adolescents form their own lifestyle, habits, social relationships and identity. They are also more prone to risk-taking behaviour than during childhood and adulthood and such behaviour often persists for the rest of their life. A multidisciplinary perspective is warranted to understand the complex determinants of adolescent risk-taking behaviour that takes neurobiological, psychological, sociological and economical aspects into account.
Adolescence is also a window of opportunity for intervention. A multidisciplinary perspective is also needed to design innovative programmes that promote positive developments in adolescence. Effective programmes focus on aspects of the environments in which young people grow up, such as legal frameworks, school policies, parental, social and peer influences as well as emotional and social support. Moreover, programmes that support adolescents in managing their emotions and increasing their self-efficacy, self-control and social skills have been shown to have promising effects on several risk-taking behaviours and to promote academic achievement.
This Special Issue will synthesize what is known about the complex determinants of adolescent risk-taking behaviour, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary perspectives taking individual and environmental factors into account. It also aims to collect lessons learned from innovative interventions, with a focus on interventions designed in co-creation with adolescents and those that use both quantitative and qualitative or realist evaluation designs.

Prof. Dr. Christiane Stock
Guest Editor

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