Evaluating Risk-Taking Behaviors of Youth in Military Families

It is often assumed that military youth face greater stressors than civilian youth, which may increase risk for problematic behavior; however, that may not necessarily be the case. Youth risk behaviors were compared between a sample of adolescent patients at two military clinics (i.e., Army, Air Force) and a national sample of youth completing a risk behavior survey. Military youth in this sample engaged in lower levels of risk taking behaviors (e.g., sexual activity, use of alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes) compared to youth from the national survey.