TITLE:
Popularity, likeability, and risk-taking in middle adolescence
AUTHORS:
Stephanie Hawke, Elizabeth Rieger
KEYWORDS:
Adolescence; Popularity; Peer Status; Risk-Taking
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.6C,
June
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: This study
investigated the roles of adolescent popularity and likeability in eight
domains of risk-taking in Australian grade 9 students (53% girls). The eight domains included previously examined areas of aggressive behaviours, alcohol use, and sexual intercourse, and
areas where there is scarce information, including antisocial activities,
unprotected intercourse, body image-related risk-taking, unsafe road
practices, and stranger-related risk-taking. The results indicated a clear
association between popularity and higher risk-taking in five of the eight domains.
This is contrasted with likeability, which was not directly related to
risk-taking aside from one two-way interaction with gender for sexual intercourse.
The findings demonstrate the importance of including a broader range of risk-taking
activities when considering popularity, particularly stranger-related
risk-taking.