Kids and Risk

Children often engage in behaviors that threaten their development. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list six categories of health-risk behavior in youth. They include:

• Tobacco use
• Alcohol and other drug use
• Behaviors that result in injuries
• Sexual behaviors that result in HIV infection, other STD's and unintended pregnancies
• Poor diets
• Insufficient physical activity

In this curriculum, we focus on the first two risk behaviors in our content but include others when possible. It's important that children realize they have a lot to lose by engaging in risky behaviors. Youth who are focused on future goals and supported by firm life skills and decision-making abilities are less likely to sabotage their health and future.

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