A Longitudinal Study of Risk‐Taking Behavior in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Risk taking may be regarded as a normative behavior in adolescence. Risk-taking behaviors may include alcohol, smoking, drug use, delinquency, and acts of aggression. Many studies have explored the relationship between adolescents and risk-taking behavior; however, only a few studies have examined this link in adolescents with learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to compare the risk-taking behavior of adolescents with learning disabilities (N = 307) and without learning disabilities (N = 307) over time. Specifically, this study investigated changes over time in adolescents' substance use, engagement in major and minor delinquency, acts of aggression, and gambling activities. Results indicated that, compared to their nonlearning disabled peers, adolescents with learning disabilities engaged more frequently in some risk-taking behaviors including smoking, marijuana use, acts of delinquency, acts of aggression, and gambling. The results also indicate that for some risk-taking behaviors adolescents with and without learning disabilities differ in their trajectory of engagement. Implications of this study point to the importance of supporting adolescents with learning disabilities when they are faced with difficult decisions around risk taking.

The internet and young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN): Risk and safety

“…This imbalance between the motivational system and the regulatory system (Choudhury & McKinney, 2013) is therefore likely, as in the general adolescent population, to result in young people with ASN being less able to make considered choices and inhibit risk-taking urges as a result of their stage of neurodevelopment. Further to this, as well as the ASN group being considered more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour than those without ASN (McNamara & Willoughby, 2010), a relationship between social exclusion and risk-taking behaviour has been proposed (Peake, Dishion, Stromshak, Moore & Pfiefer, 2013), indicating that individuals considered to have greater susceptibility to the influence of peers take significantly more risks following social exclusion. Such findings may have implications for the ASN population due to this group commonly experiencing social difficulties and potential social exclusion (Cerebra, 2012).…”

“…Research has also indicated that young people with ASN may be at increased online risk in comparison to those without ASN. Reasons for this may include the group's social naivety (Cerebra, 2012) and range of cognitive deficits, which can impact on their ability to generalise safety strategies and consider long-term consequences of behaviour (Carr, 2006;Mayes & Calhoun, 2004;Westwood, 2011). Further to this, young people with a range of disabilities may be more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour than those without (McNamara & Willoughby, 2010). Del-Manso et al, (2011) employed focus groups to explore internet use by seven females with ASN (aged 13-16) and their understanding of the related benefits and risks.…”

Demographic and psychological predictors of grade point average (GPA) in North-Norway: a particular analysis of cognitive/school-related and literacy problems

“…The presence of literacy problems and weak GPA may have several unfortunate consequences, such as depression, anxiety, loneliness and poorer quality of life (Ginieri-Coccossis et al, 2013;Klassen et al, 2013), more frequent risk behaviour, substance use, aggressive and delinquent acts (McNamara & Willoughby, 2010), as well as drop-out from school (Goldstein et al, 2011). Yet, more adolescents with literacy problems attend higher education than before.…”

Developing grit : a case study of a summer camp, which empowers students with learning disabilities through the use of social-emotional learning

“…Most likely, this is a result of their feelings of isolation, and their desire to want to belong to a group, therefore, they are prone to engaging in negative behaviors. It is normal adolescent behavior to engage in some behaviors like drinking and smoking, but adolescents with LD feel even more isolated than the average teen because of their learning disability, and belonging to a group, even a group engaging in negative behaviors, looks more appealing to them than feeling like an outsider (McNamara & Willoughby, 2010).…”

“…Statistics are bleak for outcomes for students with learning disabilities attending public schools, with many of these students at higher than average risk for dropping out of high school, not enrolling in and/or dropping out of college, and engaging in risky behaviors, such as alcohol and drug use (McNamara & Willoughby, 2010). The literature in the field of learning disabilities (LD) shows an absence of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs being implemented specifically with LD populations.…”