Research: Some teens take risks because they think they'll die young

Parent Cafe
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<p>"A surprising number of teenagers — nearly 15 percent — think they’re going to die young, leading many to drug use, suicide attempts and other unsafe behavior, new research suggests.</p>

<p>The study, based on a survey of more than 20,000 kids, challenges conventional wisdom that says teens engage in risky behavior because they think they’re invulnerable to harm. Instead, a sizable number of teens may take chances “because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake,” said study author Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota.</p>

<p>That behavior threatens to turn their fatalism into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Over seven years, kids who thought they would die early were seven time more likely than optimistic kids to be subsequently diagnosed with AIDS. They also were more likely to attempt suicide and get in fights resulting in serious injuries.</p>

<p>Borowsky said the magnitude of kids with a negative outlook was eye-opening.</p>

<p>Adolescence is “a time of great opportunity and for such a large minority of youth to feel like they don’t have a long life ahead of them was surprising,” she said.
[Study:</a> Surprising Number of Teens Expect to Die Young - Cholesterol - FOXNews.com](<a href=“http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529364,00.html?test=latestnews]Study:”>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529364,00.html?test=latestnews)</p>

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<p>NSM - interesting research. In my work with young adults, I do encounter some with a fatalistic attitude and a propensity for risk. I think more research is necessary, but it is thought provoking.</p>

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<p>I’m nineteen, and I think this is a lot of why teens do crazy things. Sure, some of them do wild things because they think they’re invincible, but some just don’t have much regard for protecting their own lives.</p>