Stereotypes Can Fuel Teen Misbehavior

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Drinking. Drugs.
Caving into peer pressure. When parents expect their teenagers to conform to
negative stereotypes, those teens are in fact more likely to do so, according
to new research by professor of psychology Christy Buchanan.

"Parents who believe they are simply being realistic might actually contribute
to a self-fulfilling prophecy," says Buchanan, who studies adolescent
development and behavior. "Negative expectations on the part of both parents
and children predict more negative behaviors later on."

In her study, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, Buchanan
found that adolescents whose mothers expected them to take more risks and be
more rebellious reported higher levels of risk-taking behavior than their
peers one year later. The same was true for adolescents' negative
expectations.

"Higher expectations for risk-taking and rebelliousness predict higher levels
of problem behavior, even controlling for many other predictors of such
behavior," Buchanan says.

More than 250 adolescents and their mothers participated in the study. The
adolescents were sixth or seventh graders at the beginning of the study; they
were resurveyed a year later. The study was co-authored by Johna Hughes at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Parents who expect their kids to suddenly become James Dean when they turn 13,
even if they have not been rebellious earlier in life, might be making an
important mistake. "Sometimes parents expect more negative behavior from their
own adolescents than they should based on the adolescent's history of
behavior," Buchanan says.

"By thinking risk-taking or rebelliousness is normal for teenagers and
conveying that to their children, parents might add to other messages from
society that make teenagers feel abnormal if they are not willing to take
risks or break laws. This can mean, for example, that when parents expect
teens to drink before they turn 21 or to engage in other risky behaviors, kids
are less likely to resist societal pressures to do so."

Because negative risk-taking during adolescence can lead to a variety of
problems, parents should not be naive about the possibility of such behavior,
Buchanan says. But expectations that adolescents can not only resist such
pressures but also exhibit positive behaviors might help reduce the incidence
of negative risk-taking.

Buchanan offers the following suggestions for parents:

-- Parents' own behavior is a powerful example. Do not suggest in your
words or behavior that the only or best way to have fun is through
drinking, sex or drug use.
-- Let your teenager know that many adolescents resist drinking, smoking
or
early sexual activity.
-- Draw attention to examples of teenagers who are doing positive things.
Convey confidence that your child can do the same, and will not be
alone
in doing so.
-- Communicate and support avenues for having fun without negative
risk-taking. Teenagers who get into trouble are often simply seeking
ways to relieve stress or have fun. Parents who understand this need
can
offer ideas and opportunities that are healthy and legal.
-- Make your own home a fun and comfortable place for your teenager and
his/her friends to socialize. Do not allow negative risk-taking such
as
drinking to occur in your own home under your supervision.
-- Encourage and support involvement in positive extracurricular
activities, such as community service, sports, music, theater,
faith-based youth groups or other activities.
-- Pay attention to your teenager's peer choices. Positive peer pressure
exists! Encourage and support affiliation with other teens who are
involved in positive activities and not getting into trouble. Get to
know other parents, and encourage affiliations with families who share
your values.

-- Make sure your teenager knows that there will be negative consequences
if he or she engages in negative risk-taking, and follow through if
such
risk-taking occurs. Lack of consequences implicitly communicates that
parents accept such behaviors.

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SOURCE Wake Forest University

Cheryl Walker of Wake Forest University, +1-336-758-5237, walkercv@wfu.edu