Chapter 6: At Risk Youth Flashcards
Youth “At Risk”
At risk of negative outcomes by engaging in certain behaviors that threaten their well-being
Youth “As a Risk”
Engaging in behaviors that threaten the well-being of other people or society as a whole
Youth
Children aged 12-17
Someone who has not achieved full economic and social independence
Top 3 Substances Used by Youth
Alcohol
E-Cigarettes
Cannabis
Tobacco and Vaping Products Act
No sell of tobacco to those under 18
Cigarette commercials are prohibited on TV and advertising is restricted
WHO recommends R rating on movies with smoking
Cloud Chasers
Vaping is new and exciting
Functions as a hobby
Learning tricks
Substitutes
Smokers or former smokers who started vaping to reduce the stigmatization they faced as smokers and perceived improvements in health
Drug
Any substance that has psychoactive properties, affecting mood or cognition
Cannabis Legalization Effects
2% increase in adult usage
No change in 18-24 years old
10% decrease among 12-17 year olds
Why Do Young People Use Drugs?
4 factors
Individual
Family
School
Community
Individual Factors
Ex. genetic and environmental disposition, degree of personal competence, trauma, mental health challenges, gang involvement
Family Factors
Ex. parenting style, degree of parent-child relationship, abuse or neglect, family history with substance use
School Factors
Academic success, reading skills, problem-solving abilities, participation in extracurriculars, feelings of belonging
Community Factors
Norms about substance use, prevalence of crime, economic condition, nature of peers
Binge Drinking
Five drinks in one sitting for males, four drinks in one sitting for females
Prevention Paradox
Efforts to help problem drinkers have not reduced the extent of harm caused by alcohol consumption because most of the harm comes from a larger number of students who binge drink occasionally rather than the small number that actually have an alcohol problem
Population Prevention
Targeting the university as a whole to discourage binge drinking
Providing resources and support to students who need help
Causes of Youth Crime Declining
Changes in policing practices, aging populations, legislative changes, evolving attitudes, trends in patterns of substance abuse
Crime Severity Index (CSI)
Reflects both the volume and severity of crime
Crimes are rated on a scale based on severity
Most Common Crimes Committed by Youth
Level 1 Assault
Theft under $5000
Mischief
These are usually summary offences
Moral Panic
Gap between perceptions and patterns of youth crime, can be caused by the media
Elements of Moral Panic
Heightened concern
Hostility toward the offending group
Consensus that the threat is real
Disproportionality
Volatility
Empirical Research
Analyzes a variety of factors to determine the extent to which they contribute to youth crime
Causation and motivation
Ethnographic Research
Aspects of social construction of the “gang problem”, how and why moral panic about gangs emerge, the problems with the definition of gang
