Teens Thinking They’ll Die Young

From AP: Surprising number of teens think they’ll die young

CHICAGO (AP) – A surprising number of teenagers—nearly 15 percent—think they’re going to die young, leading many to drug use, suicide attempts and other unsafe behavior, new research suggests.

The study, based on a survey of more than 20,000 kids, challenges conventional wisdom that says teens engage in risky behavior because they think they’re invulnerable to harm. Instead, a sizable number of teens may take chances "because they feel hopeless and figure that not much is at stake," said study author Dr. Iris Borowsky, a researcher at the University of Minnesota.

That behavior threatens to turn their fatalism into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Over seven years, kids who thought they would die early were seven time more likely than optimistic kids to be subsequently diagnosed with AIDS. They also were more likely to attempt suicide and get in fights resulting in serious injuries.

(read the rest)

“That behavior threatens to turn their fatalism into a self-fulfilling prophecy.”  We in our work with high-risk kids have seen this to be true.  That is why it is so important for these kids to be exposed to positive adult relationships that will communicate to them – “You matter to me and to God.”

Learn how you can get involved.