I think the person in an adolescents life that can make the most difference in the way they behave is the parents. Is there still going to be rebellion from your adolescent, of course, but as parents we can limit the risky behavior that cause many of the deaths in this stage of life. "The top four causes of death for females ages 15-19 are accidents, cancer, assault, and suicide." (43) Accidents are the leading cause of death in this age range and I think that the parents can play a big role in preventing many of them from happening. Leading by example can be one of the best ways to show a teen how to act, such as not getting behind the wheel and driving if you have even had one sip of alcohol. Kids this age are experimenting and they do not know what the limit should be, so if they see that you don't drive if you have even had a sip they may also follow your lead. Also parents need to be open to talking to their teens about everything they are curious about. I believe a huge reason accidents are the leading cause of death at this age is due to the curiosity that kids have during this period of their life. If parents are open to answering questions and being open with their kids it could prevent a lot of the sneaking around a lot of kids do. Kids should feel comfortable enough to call their parent if they make a mistake and drink at a party to come pick them up, rather than being too afraid to call them and getting behind the wheel and driving. They should also be open to talking about sex and the dangers that can come from having unprotected sex. Many parents are embarrassed to talk to their kids about sex, and other think that it may make their kids want to go our and have sex, but I also feel that a lot of time when kids at this age have sex it is because they are so curious about it they decide to just to it. Hopefully if kids feel that they can be open with their parents it will prevent many of the dangers that come with being teens.
Alexander, Linda L.; LaRosa, Judith H.,; Bader, Helaine; Garfield, Susan; Alexander, William J. (2010). New Dimensions in Women's Health. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
I completely agree with everything that you said! It all does depend on the parents and how they are brought up. If a parent has unhealthy behaviors, the kids are more likely to follow their actions. It's kinda like a monkey see monkey do type thing.
ReplyDelete