Lapsley discusses teen  risk-taking at Marian Catholic

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Professor Daniel Lapsley talks to parents and faculty about adolescent risk-taking behavior. | Supplied Photo

Updated: November 24, 2011 8:06AM

Daniel Lapsley, professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, spoke recently to parents and faculty at Marian Catholic High School about adolescent risk-taking behavior.

Lapsley dispelled the belief that teenagers are worse at perceiving risks than adults and gave examples of how teens weigh risks and consequences.

“Educating adolescents to make ‘better’ decisions is not likely to reduce risky behavior,” he stated. “In the search for other explanations for why adolescents, as a group, make riskier decisions, it’s because they feel invulnerable; that they cannot be harmed.”

Lapsley said he believes teenagers are not weighing the risks of their behaviors, but trying to fill a role within their peer group and bonding with their peers to solidify their position in that group.

“Most adolescent risk-taking takes place in contexts where the teens are unsupervised by adults,” he said. “Compounding the behavior is an over-exposure to peer pressure because teens spend a significant amount of time with their peer groups.

“As parents and educators, our goal is to limit the opportunities that put adolescents in risky situations by encouraging activities where adults are present. Strong connections to institutions provide a basis for less risky behaviors.”

According to Lapsley’s research, an authoritative structure that is conducive to good development is one where the parent or teacher makes demands on the student, setting rules and boundaries that incur consequences when violated. This structure operates best in the context of warmth, open communication and flexibility, Lapsley said.

“Catholic schools resonate strongly for student achievement in spite of risky behaviors and troubled backgrounds, in large part because the school community holds people accountable and calls forth the best from each individual,” said Thomas Golden, of the Marian Catholic English Department.