Addressing Risk Behavior in Children and Adolescents

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Addressing Risk Behavior in Children and Adolescents”, adopts a developmental psychopathology perspective to foster new insights into why young people engage in diverse risk behaviors and how such behaviors can be effectively addressed. Developmental psychopathology emphasizes that risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, delinquency, sexual risk-taking, self-harm) arise from complex interactions among biological predispositions, individual psychological development, and socio-contextual influences (e.g., family, peers, community, culture) unfolding across time. This perspective also underscores the transactions between risk and protective factors that can lead to maladaptive outcomes or, alternatively, resilience.

Within this framework, the Special Issue encourages studies that integrate an understanding of developmental etiology with practical strategies for prevention and intervention. We welcome interdisciplinary contributions—from clinical psychology and public health to developmental neuroscience and beyond—that employ quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. Contributors are also encouraged to incorporate multiple levels of analysis (e.g., genetic, neurobiological, psychological, and environmental factors), reflecting the field’s integrative ethos. There are no restrictions on context or population; submissions may examine risk behavior across diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and geographic settings. By highlighting multi-factorial influences and developmental pathways from childhood through adolescence, our aim is to inspire innovative, evidence-based approaches to mitigating risk behaviors and promoting resilience in young people.

Dr. Luca Cerniglia
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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.