Risk behaviors in Adolescents with Special Needs: Are Social and Emotional Competences Important?

Abstract

BackgroundOne of the major threats for adolescent's health and well-being is risk behaviors. The negative effects of risk behaviors are currently well known. They lead to personal, social and economic problems, and are associated with mortality, namely through accidents, violence and crime. Several factors are associated to risk behaviors. Negative life events are one of the factors that could promote the involvment in risk behaviors. Nevertheless there are other factors, like emotional and social competences that are important resources for well-being in adolescence. Adolescents with this kind of competences present a greater capacity for adapt to different situations and deal with adversity.AimsThe aim of the present work is to analyse the role of negative life events and emotional and social competences on risk behaviors, in a population of Portuguese adolescents with special needs.Sample(s)The sample included 494 adolescents with special needs, mean age 14 years old. Pupils attended 77 public schools from all Portugal.MethodsData collection was held within the HBSC (Health Behaviour in School aged Children) survey (Currie et al., 2004; Matos et al., 2006). For the purpose of this specific study, the questionnaire “Risk and resilience in adolescence survey” included questions about personal and social competencies (Resilience Module - CalifórniaHealthy Kids Program Office, 2000), life events (Life Events Checklist, Johnson, 1986) and risk behaviors (substance use and disruptive behavior).Results and ConclusionsResults showed that negative life events and some of personal and social competencies – cooperation and communication, empathy, self-awareness, and self-efficacy are associated to risk behaviors. Adolescents that present higher levels of negative life events or lower levels of these competences present higher levels of disruptive behavior. The promotion of social and emotional competences is an important issue in intervention with adolescents. Implications for prevention field are discussed.