SELF-ESTEEM, AFFECTIVITY PERCEPTION, AIMS AND RISKY BEHAVIORS IN TEENAGERS

A self applied and anonymous enquiry was ansered by 948 teenagers (600 female), participating in an integral health education plan and comin g from a school located in a low income community of Metropolitan Sant iago. Twenty nine percent came from single or foster parent families a nd 18.4% of parents were separated. Nineteen percent of women and 9.8% of men felt that they were not loved by their parents; 30.5% of women and classified as bad or regular their relationship with their father s and 22.1% of men similarly classified their relationship with their mothers. Eighteen percent of men and 16.5% of women ignored their pare nt's educational level. Ten to 24% had a negative self image and 50% w ere unsure about their study goals. Forty eight percent of men and 25. 5% of women had get drunk, 24.1 and 12.8% had smoked marihuana. Haff o f the sample manifested attraction to dangerous situations; 22% had pa rticipated in quarrels and 34% had attacked other people. Twenty three percent of men and 35% of women had considered committing suicide. It is concluded that the lack of affection, a deteriorated self image, d ifficult parental relationships and orientation toward violence appear as the main problems in this sample of teenagers.