Young People

• Young People & Sexual Health |
• Sexual health & alcohol |
• Key issues for young people |
• The UN Convention on the Rights of the child

For many young people the onset of adolescence is a difficult and challenging time, a time for pushing at the boundaries and trying to make sense of the world.

Accompanying this is an intense period of physical and emotional change. Sex and relationships issues are an integral part of this.

If we are to support young people in the transition to adulthood we need to see a positive approach to sex, sexual health and relationships.

Positive sexual health needs to raise awareness with young people of their choices in relation to lifestyle and risk taking behaviour, enabling them to identify and overcome blocks to their personal development both physically and emotionally. Local strategies seek to empower young people to make informed decisions and choices around relationships and sexual health matters. Thereby reducing the effects and likelihood of unplanned teenage conception and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. It is also important that Young people should be able to access a wide range of services from a variety of settings.

Risk taking

Young people in the UK, according to a UNICEF report are more likely to take part in certain “risky” behaviours than their peers in over 20 other industrialised nations, including the US and Canada. UK adolescents are reported to have among the highest prevalence rates in their use of alcohol and cannabis, sexual behaviour, unprotected sexual activity and fighting. It is also worthy of note that young people rarely engage in just one risky behaviour; unprotected sexual activity, for example, may be preceded by “irresponsible” use of alcohol.

In the UK, the primary policy focus on young people and risk is in relation to drug, alcohol and tobacco use, underage sex and unprotected sexual activity. These are complemented, from time to time, by other concerns including anti-social behaviour and criminal activity, gang membership, carrying weapons, sedentary lifestyle, over-eating, under-eating and “yo-yo” dieting.

There has been much discussion around young people and risk and what are adult perceptions and what are young peoples perceptions. The issue is complex but common understandings can be stated much more succinctly as “young people do not engage in risky behaviour: they experiment and explore. They have different priorities. They want to try something new”. It can be said, therefore, that “risk” is a concept that adults ascribe to young people and their activities.