ADOLESCENT VULNERABILITY - A FRAMEWORK FOR BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS

A general framework is offered for characterizing behavioral risks in a way that might help coordinate behavioral interventions. It is demon strated in terms of adolescents' vulnerability, arising from the life situations confronting teens, from teens' understanding of those situa tions, and from the beliefs of those entrusted with helping them (pare nts, educators, psychologists, etc.). The framework provides a rationa le for identifying opportunities to reduce adolescent vulnerability, b ased on research regarding the genesis and control of risks. It provid es a common language for characterizing alternative theoretical approa ches to these issues and a systematic way to integrate their results. It is illustrated with results from research on the role of informatio n in determining adolescent vulnerability.