Course Code and Title: GE109 – GENDER AND SOCIETY

Lesson Number: Lesson 4 Week 4

TOPIC: Risky Behaviors of Adolescents

RISKY BEHAVIORS OF ADOLESCENTS

INTRODUCTION:

Guidance of family is also important as the adolescent develops into a mature

adult. Family Arrangement, based on the 2006 McCann Erickson Study, has noted that
53% of adolescents live with both parents. Because of the overseas Filipino Workers
(OFW) phenomenon, 5% live without the mother, 20% live without the father, and 23% live
without them.

Data on non-sexual behaviors where adolescents engage in vices, such as

smoking and alcohol drinking, show that the adolescent is the fourth highest in the country
who is currently smoking (20.7%). Likewise, the adolescent is the fifth highest in the
country who are currently drinking alcoholic beverages (38.9%). More than three in 100
adolescents have used drugs, below the national average. In contrast, greater than eight
in 100 have ever thought of suicide.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

● analyze the risky behaviors of the growing adolescent;

● identify trouble signs that can lead to risky behaviors and its complications;

● reflect upon one’s responsibility in ensuring psychosocial wellness in the

aspect of gender and development;

● adapt holistic measures on how to avoid risky behaviors; and

● listen to others with respect.

LESSON PRESENTATION:
 Sex and media have been identified as key influencers among adolescents
engaging in high-risk behaviors, as shown in NCR and CALABARZON studies. Three in
five have watched X-rated movies and videos, the fourth highest in the country. Three in
ten have sent or received sex videos through cell phones or the Internet, the country's
second-highest. Six out of 100 have engaged in phone sex, higher than the national
average.

Identified Sexual Risks that were found among the growing Filipino adolescents are
as follows:

One in three has sexual experience. They also engage in sex at younger ages: first
sex for boys: 17.6 years old during first sex for girls: 18.1 years old. One in 50 had sex
before age 15 while one in four had sex before age 18. Seven in 10 premarital sex cases
are unprotected against unintended pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections (STI),
including HIV-AIDS.

1.2% have paid for sex, and 1.3% have received payment for sex, this is low but
above the national average level; 6.7% have engaged in casual sex; 4.1% mostly males
have fu** buddy (FUBU) experience; 6.3% have males having sex with males (MSM)
experience; 2.9% of married youth (including those in live-in) have engaged in extramarital
sex.

Giving birth at younger ages has also been evident in the Filipino youth. Such that
there is a marked increase in teenage fertility in the past decade, 7.1% aged 15-19 are
already mothers. The proportion of women who begun childbearing increases with age:
2,0% aged 16, 31.2% aged 19. Teenage fertility is the lowest among all regions of the
country.

While the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections like HIV and AIDS is
increasing in the youth, as of 2013, 86.7% have heard of HIV and AIDS with poor
understanding being the highest in the country, noting that three in four think that they
would not get AIDS.

TROUBLE SIGNS AMONG TEENS:

 ● Sexual promiscuity;

● Regular use of drugs and alcohol;

● Repeated violation of the law or school regulation;

● Running away more than once in three months;

● Skipping school more than once in three months;

● Aggressive outburst/impulsiveness;

● Dark drawings or writings;

● Deterioration in hygiene;

● Oppositional behavior;

● Refusal to work/non-compliance;

● Chronic lateness;

● Falling asleep in class;

● Changes in physical appearance; and

● Excessive daydreaming.

Harmful Practices
 Tradition and culture play a significant
role in shaping how young people and
adolescents behave and lead their lives.
However, young people have become victims of
some harmful traditional practices, which affect
their human and reproductive rights. These
practices differ from place to place but primarily
affect women.

Common drugs abused by young people

and their effects:

1. Marijuana (also known as Cannabis,

Grass, Joint, Split, Hashish, Pot,
Weed).
Effects: Increase in heart rate and
dilation of certain blood vessels in the
eyes, which creates blood-shot eyes.

Chronic bronchial irritation is one of the long-term effects of chronic marijuana

use. Impairment of long-term memory, gum disease, increased risk of cancers of
the mouth, jaw, tongue, and lung impair the immune system. Decreased
testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts, and increased sperm abnormalities
in male users—impaired fetal growth and development.

2. Mairungi (also known as Khat,

Oat, and Mirraa).
A common name for the stimulant
the leaf that is chewed in East
Africa.
Effects: Negative effects include
sleeplessness, anxiety, aggressive
behavior, and hallucinations. Some
men are unable to get an erection
 after they have been chewing.

3. Alcohol. The most common drug and is used worldwide.

Effects: Further drinking can cause
slurred speech and aggressive
behavior, leading to fights, rape, or
other kinds of violence. People who
consume too much alcohol can end
up vomiting, becoming unconscious,
or even dying. When people drink,
their ability to make healthy and safe
decisions is impaired.

4. Cigarettes (tobacco, cigars).

Effects: Second major cause of death in the
world. Nicotine, which is found in tobacco
products, including cigarettes, is highly
addictive. The tar in cigarettes increases a
smoker's risk of lung cancer, emphysema,
and bronchial disorders. The carbon
monoxide in smoke increases the chance of
cardiovascular diseases. Inhaling smoke
passively causes lung cancer in adults and
significantly increases the risk of respiratory illness in children.

5. Cocaine (also known as Crack, Coke, C, Charlie, Nose Candy, Toot, Bazooka,
Big C, Cake, Lady, Stardust, Coco, Flake, Mister coffee). Often called the
 “champagne of drugs”.
Effects: Small amount of cocaine will raise
body temperature, make the heart beat
faster, increase the breathing rate, make
you feel overconfident, and make you
more alert with extra energy. Excessive
doses may lead to convulsions, seizures,
strokes, cerebral hemorrhage, or heart
failure. Strong psychological dependence
and other health problems like destroying
nose tissues, reportorial problems, and
weight loss.

6. Heroine (also known as Hammer, Horse, H, Junk, Nod, Smack, Skag, White,
beige, white lady, white stuff, Joy powder boy, Hairy, Harry, Joy powder).
Drugs obtained from morphine and come from the opium poppy plant. Drug that

slows down the user’s body and mind.

Effects: Provides an extremely powerful
rush and a high that usually last for
between four to six hours. Feelings of well-
being, relief from pain, fast physical and
psychological dependence, sometimes
nausea and vomiting, sleepiness, loss of
balance, loss of concentration, and loss
of appetite. An overdose can result in
death—an increased possibility of
contracting AIDS.

7. Amphetamines (also known as Speed, Ice, Browns, Footballs, Hearts,

Oranges, Wakeups, Black beauties, Crystal meth, Crack meth, Cat, Jeff
amp. Dixies, Rippers, Bennies, Browns, Greenies, Pep pills). Stimulants that
 affect a person’s system by speeding up
the activity of the brain and giving energy.
Effects: Increase in a heartbeat, faster
breathing, increase blood pressure and
body temperature, sweating, make the
person more confident and alert, give
him/her extra energy, reduce appetite,
make it difficult to sleep, and make the
abuser talk more. May also feel anxious,
irritable, and suffer from panic attacks.

8. Ecstasy (also known as Adam, Essence, MDM, MDMA, XTC, Eve, MDE,
MDEA).
Stimulants, and most often used in the form of tablets at rave parties.
Effects: A person using ecstasy will probably feel happy, warm, loving, and more
energetic. Nausea and vomiting, rise in blood pressure and heart rate, possibly
even
death due to overheating of the body, and dehydration or loss of water are some

effects of ecstasy. Feeling of

depression and tiredness can lead
to brain and liver damage.

9. Inhalants and solvents. Chemicals that can be inhaled, such as glue, gasoline,
aerosol sprays, lighter fluids, etc.
Effects: May give the user a “high” for a very brief period of time. They make
him/her feel numb for a short period of time, dizzy, confused, and drowsy. They can
 also cause headaches, nausea, fainting, accelerated heartbeat, disorientation, and
hallucinations. They
can damage the lungs,
kidney, and liver in the
long term.

Tips to Avoid Drugs:

● You do not need to

take drugs to be liked by other people.

● You do not need to take drugs to feel brave or courageous.

● You do not need drugs to cope with sorrow or disappointments.

● Inside you, you have the strength and inner resources to deal with any situation and

any problem.

Whatever problem you are facing, there are people available to help you. You can talk
to a friend, a teacher, a parent, or a trusted person at your church or mosque.
PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE IN GENDER AND SEXUALITY
Gender and Sexuality as a Psychosocial Issue

The reproductive mechanisms are interpreted by societies, thereby, creating

differentiated social standards for behavior and expectations. For instance, since the
human female can bear a child, the society interprets this capacity as associated with
womanhood, and thus, sets fulfillment of reproductive role as an expectation among
women.

On the other hand, since the human male cannot bear the child but has a relatively
larger muscular-skeletal frame, the society expects the human male to perform a
productive role and associate it with men.

These scenarios only exemplify that much about gender and sexuality is biological
and physiological and psychological and social. This perspective of exploring and
understanding human sexuality in the lens of social psychological processes is referred to
as a psychosocial perspective.

What Does Psychosocial Mean?

The term "psychosocial" is an encompassing term. It is comprised of two primary

aspects: psychological and social. There are many ways to define these two terms, but
in essence, psychological pertains to anything associated with mental process and
behavior, while social pertains to anything associated with human relationships,
connection, and interaction.

The psychological aspect of gender and sexuality anchors itself in the field of
psychology. Psychology is a science field that concerns itself with how people think and
feel and how thoughts and feelings interact and lead to behavior. There are three primary
psychological domains: affect, behavior, and cognition.

Affect, or the affective domain pertains to people’s emotions and feelings.

Behavior or the behavioral domain pertains to people’s actions –both observable (overt)
or not readily observable (covert). Cognition or cognitive domain pertains to people's
thought processes such as memory, perception, and information-processing.

Hence, to say that gender and sexuality have a psychological dimension is to note
that our sexual behaviors and gender-related behaviors originate from what we sense,
think, and feel. The social aspect of gender and sexuality primarily anchors itself on
sociology and allied fields such as social psychology.

Understanding the Psychosocial Dimension

There are many ways through which the psychosocial dimension of gender and
sexuality can be understood and explained. Our experience of gender and sexuality is
generally relational. It is relational because while we have our effect, cognition, and
behavior to be aware of, we are also viewing ourselves concerning others who also have
their preoccupations.

Some elements of our gendered self are best viewed in an ecological context-that
is, in the circumstances in our physical and social environment.

Awareness

At the front of our experience as gendered beings is awareness. In simpler terms,

awareness is our conscious understanding of something. As individuals, we are in the
constant process towards self-awareness: Who and what am I? What do I like/dislike?
What are my strengths and weakness? What motivates me? What are my aspirations?
We are in a continuous process of asking and trying to understand.

In the context of gender and sexuality, we ask: What am I physiological? Am I

happy with what I am? How do a genuinely see myself? How do I feel about myself as a
sexual being? Is there anything useful I should do? Hence, as we try to understand
ourselves more, we are also in a constant process towards other-awareness:
understanding others: What are the other's motivations, preferences, and aspirations?
Where am I positioned in her or his life, vis-à-vis where is s/he positioned in my life? How
different and or similar am I and others?
Intimacy and relationship

When two people recognize and become aware of each other, they decide to keep
close distance in each other's lives, share their bubbles, so to speak, and allow the
frequency of interaction between them. This forges some form of human relationship- a
bond formed between two or more people, manifested through communication and
interaction.

These relationships may be in the form of family, friendships, romantic

relationships, or others. While in these relationships, we share resources and emotions,
we, as individuals, continuously aim to understand ourselves further as we also try to
understand others and understand them. This process of knowing others and allowing
others to know us is intimacy.

As social beings, we also learn from our own experiences and the lessons taught to
us by those who come before us. The process by which we learn cultural norms and
traditions is referred to as socialization. At the end of it all, as rational beings, we are also
capable of making sense of our experiences vis-à-vis the influences of our environments
and integrate these interpretations into our own choice.

Well-being as a Psychosocial Goal

The ultimate goal of understanding our experiences' psychosocial aspects is well-

being – a state of satisfaction, meaning, and purpose. There are two sides to well-being.
One is that kind of well-being, which is observed, outward, and can be evaluated through
the presence or absence of particular elements in our environment. This is referred to as
objective well-being.

In the aspect of gender and sexuality here are some of the questions to ask:

● Does the physical environment allow expression of diversity? Does the physical

infrastructure mitigate any possibility of abuse and violence related to gender?

 ● Are material resources (money, properties) equitably available to men, women, and

other people with a different gender? Are these resources sufficient for them?

● Is there a health system that caters to gender-related needs? Are there wellness

programs that support women, men, and people of different genders?

Another side of well-being is our personal experience of satisfaction, meaning, and

purpose. This is referred to as subjective well-being. It is subjective because it pertains
to our appreciation of how well we are. There are also moments where the environment
has shortcomings, but we are at peace and satisfied within. In a common term, the closes
word to also mean subjective well-being is happiness.

Some of the questions to ask are as follows:

● How far is your sense of satisfaction about the various areas of your life as a

sexual being?

● Is your purpose as a person clear to you, and if not yet, what are you doing to

clarify this purpose?

Dimensions of Well-being

Based on what well-being means, we can see that there are various dimensions into
it. The following are just the primary dimensions of well-being that we must look into when
trying to understand a person's psychosocial condition:

● Physical – physical/biological health;

● Emotional – positive feelings: mood stability;

● Mental – clarity of mind; healthy thought process;

● Material – available and adequate financial and other resources; and

 ● Social – healthy and positive interaction and relationship with others.

SUMMARY:

The developing adolescent is very vulnerable to high risk-taking behaviors that can
harm their growth and pose a threat to their future. Warning signs of a troubled teen
should be recognized and manage early on to prevent devastating effects on the growing
adolescent.

One of the essential elements of our genders and sexuality is the psychological
dimension. Aside from upholding human dignity and human rights, one of our discussions'
ultimate goals goes that gender and sexuality are to ensure well-being among people of
different genders. Understanding our psychological needs and concerns and the various
elements of our psychological conditions as humans are necessary.

REFERENCE:
Peralta, Eric Paul D. (2019). Gender and Society: A Human Ecological Approach.
Manila, Philippines: Rex Bookstore, Inc.

SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCES:

Kindly access the following link to gather more information about the topic:

The Science of High-Risk Behavior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbE0uKeFtWY

Psychosexual Stages of Development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFA0pHpR9Ug