Adolescent Egocentrism and Risk-Taking Behaviors

1. Adolescent Egocentrism and Risk-Taking Behaviors Main campus 505 Englewood Drive Rocky Mount, NC 27804 www.fcspatriots.org Phone 252-443-1700 Fax 252-443-2456 Prepared by Marjorie A. Rogers-Slagle For the parents of FCS Middle School students July 20, 2010 2010 - 2011

2. Aspiring to God’s Standard of Excellence

3. What I want to do For you today • Provide a support system for you that • will help you connect with their child • Bring you to a higher awareness • of the adolescents thinking processes • Bring you a greater awareness of the • adolescent’s decision making and how • it relates to risk-taking behaviors.

4. adolescence • What in the world is going on with my child? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iy5IZ1H66A&feature=related

5. Human Development

6. Egocentrism • An individual’s preoccupation with what others think of them.

7. Egocentrism • Ages 11 to 16 • Adolescent have difficulty seeing that others can see things differently than they do • Immature thinking

9. Imaginary audience

10. Imaginary audience • Self-consciousness • Everyone else shares the same concern for their appearance as they do • Peaks between ages14-16 • Belief that they are under a constant eye

11. Imaginary audience • Constant need for privacy. • Becomes stronger around 8th grade • Stronger in girls and last longer

12. Imaginary audience • Personalities • Ethnicity • Social environment • Other elements in the adolescent’s life

13. Imaginary audience • Self-esteem • Self-confidence • Popularity • Social support – being ostracized • Living up to the standards of others

14. Personal fable • Believes their feelings are unique that no one else could possibly experience them to the same degree. • Very Dramatic • Comes from the obsessive focus on themselves.

15. Personal fable • Privileged “Everyone’s watching me.” • Unique “No one could ever understand.” • All powerful “It couldn’t happen to me”

16. separation-individualism • The process where the adolescent’s thinking becomes more and more separated from the parent’s or caregiver’s. • Imaginary audience allows them to stay connected while the personal fable helps them to begin forming their own identity.

17. How Does Egocentrism Relate to Adolescent risk taking behaviors?

18. Risk-taking • Incapable of being harmed • False sense of power • Interferes with the decision making process • Escalate very quickly • Gives little or no warning of the outcome • Stronger in males • Fails to see the long-term effects

19. Risk-taking Behaviors • Reckless driving • Binge drinking • Unprotected sex • Purging • Dare devil stunts • Experimenting with drugs

20. Volatile Solvents

21. Anesthetics • Nitrite room odorizers

22. Inhalants: Effects on the brain • Slows down or stops nerve cell activity in some parts of the brain. • Damages the part of the brain that solves complex problems and plans ahead. • Damages the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. • Damages the part of the brain that helps to control memory, meaning; lose of the ability to learn new things, recognize familiar things, or have a hard time keeping track of simple conversations.

23. Inhalants: A few facts • Age of Onset – late childhood to early adolescence • Typically the first substance that a child experiments with. • Increased and regular use occurs early & late adolescence • The child can get high very fast over and over again during a short time period. • Provides immediate gratification

24. Risk-taking Consequences • Bulimia • Anorexia nervosa • Addictions • Substance abuse • Brain damage • Life threatening accidents • HIV/AIDS • Death

25. Risk-taking Motives • Fill a personal need • Phase their going through • Irresponsible • Attention • Thrill-seeking • Social support • Peer pressure • Challenging

26. Risk-taking Decision Making • Making effective decisions requires the adolescent to balance the risks and benefits • Adolescents may lack the ability to make appropriate risk-taking decisions • They may lack the life experience and knowledge necessary to avoid errors in judgment • They may lack the emotional and social skills • They may lack the assertiveness to avoid participating in risk-taking behaviors

27. Risk-taking Decision Making • Making effective decisions requires the adolescent to balance the risks and benefits • Adolescents may lack the ability to make appropriate risk-taking decisions • They may lack the life experience and knowledge necessary to avoid errors in judgment • They may lack the emotional and social skills • They may lack the assertiveness to avoid participating in risk-taking behaviors

28. PEER Groups • Research shows that peer groups have the strongest influence on an adolescent’s decision to participate in risk-taking behaviors. • Why? Because peer groups are the most significant source of social support for the individual during adolescence

29. Most individuals survive adolescence without experiencing long term effects of risk-taking

30. Prevention - Reduction • Increased socialization • Education on the consequences of various risky behaviors. • Teach adolescents assertive skills • Teach adolescents how to be decisive in their decision making process

31. What can you do to make a difference

32. Parent/child relationships

33. Parent/child relationships

34. Parent/child relationships

35. Parental Influences • Be a positive role-model • Take a vested interest in your child’s life • Talk to them, don’t yell • Be wise in your word choices • Set reasonable boundaries • Take time to listen to their side

36. Parental Influences • Encourage your child to express his/her feelings • After school activities - Involvement • Community projects • Fine tune your parenting skills Parenting Skills – Imparting Wisdom http://www.allaboutparenting.org/parenting-skills.htm

37. References Aalsma, M.C., Lapsley, D.K., & Flannery, D.J. (2006). Personal fables, narcissism, and adolescent adjustment. Psychology in the Schools, 43(4), 481-491. Alberts, A., Elkind, D., & Ginsberg, S. (2007). The personal fable and risk-taking in early adolescence. Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 36, 71-76. Artar, M. (2007). Adolescent egocentrism and theory of mind: In the context of family relations. Social Behavior and Personality, 35(9), 1211-1220. Aspya, C.B., Veselyb, S.K., Omanb, R.F., Rodinec, S., Marshallc, L., & McLeroy, K. (2007). Parental communication and youth sexual behavior. Journal of Adolescence, 30(3), 449-466. Bell, J. & Bromnick, R. (2003) The social reality of the imaginary audience: A grounded theory approach. Adolescence, 38(150), 205-219. Blum, H.P. (2004) Separation-individuation theory and attachment theory. Journal of American Psychoanalytic Association, 52(2), 535-553. Elkind D. (1967). Egocentrism in adolescence. Child Development, 38(4), 1025-1034. Gardner, M. & Steinberg, L. (2005). Peer influence on risk taking, risk preference, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: An experimental study. Developmental Psychology, 41(4), 625–635.

38. References Heads Up (n.d.). Inhalants –quiz. Jaffe, M.L. (1998). Adolescence. New York, NY: Wiley Lapsley, D.K. (1993). Towards an integrated theory of adolescent ego development: The "new look" at adolescent egocentrism. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63(4), 562-571. Manley, R. (2009). The personal fable of adolescents understanding the fantasy construct common to youth. Suite 101. http://parentingteens.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_personal_fable_of_adolescents#ixzz0N2WEqO7v Michael, K. & Ben-Zur, H. (2007). Risk-taking among adolescents: Associations with social and affective factors. Journal of Adolescence 30, 17–31. National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (2005). http://www.inhalants.org/product.htm North Carolina School Counseling Association (2010). http://www.ncschoolcounselor.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3308 Rodham, K. , Brewera, H., Mistrala, W., & Stallarda, P. (2006). Adolescents’ perception of risk and challenge: A qualitative study. Journal of Adolescence, 29(2), 261-272.