Avoidance self-efficacy: Personal indicators of risky sex and substance use among at-risk youth

Amanda L. Wiese, Thomas B. Sease, Elizabeth D. Joseph, Jennifer E. Becan, Kevin Knight and Danica K. Knight

Children and Youth Services Review, 2023, vol. 147, issue C

Abstract: Adolescent substance use (SU) is associated with risky sex behavior and sexually transmitted infections and is a risk factor for subsequent risky sex decisions. Based on a sample of 1,580 youth in residential SU treatment, this study investigated how a static factor (race) and two dynamic personal factors (risk-taking, assertiveness) contributed to adolescents’ perceived ability to avoid high-risk SU and sex behavior (avoidance self-efficacy). Results showed that race correlated with risk-taking and assertiveness, with White youth reporting higher ratings of assertiveness and risk-taking. Self-reported assertiveness and risk-taking also predicted SU and risky sex avoidance. This study underscores the importance of race and personal factors in relation to adolescents’ confidence in avoiding high-risk situations.

Keywords: Adolescents; Self-efficacy; Risk-taking; Assertiveness; Substance use; Sexual health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740923000415
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:147:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923000415

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106846

Access Statistics for this article

Children and Youth Services Review is currently edited by Duncan Lindsey

More articles in Children and Youth Services Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().