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Gender Differences and Adolescent Risks

Judith Davey


This paper examines characteristics and behaviour that are construed as posing risks to the well-being of adolescents in New Zealand. It reviews recent New Zealand research findings on a range of risk factors, and concentrates on the differential incidence and impacts of these risks on males and females. The risk factors include:

  • mental health and behaviour risks, ranging from behavioural and conduct problems to diagnosed clinically mental health disorders, as well as offending against the law;
  • health risks, including smoking, cannabis, alcohol and other drug use;
  • physical risks, including accidental and intentional injury and death, suicide, attempted suicide, sexual risk, abuse and unsafe sexual behaviour; and
  • economic risks, including low income and unemployment.

Linkages between risk factors and other characteristics show that a set of individual, social and family conditions appear to increase individual susceptibility to a wide range of adolescent disorders and adjustment problems, which are frequently correlated or "co-morbid". The paper argues that, for adolescents, gender differences in terms of susceptibility to risk are significant and relevant to policy.

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Documents

Social Policy Journal of New Zealand: Issue 14

Gender Differences and Adolescent Risks

Jul 2000

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