| Popis: |
Contrary to commonly held rural-versus-urban stereotypes, “bucolic” and “behindthe times,” youth residing in rural areas experience nearly as much substance use—and in some cases more—as their urban counterparts (Thomas & Compton, 2007) and take part in other anti-social behaviors, as well. These rural youth reside within a unique cultural context and this undoubtedly affects their perceptions and actual enactments of risky behaviors. To understand such youth and their risk behavior, in-depth interviews with 118 rural adolescents were conducted. Data from these interviews point to how existing risk behavior theory can be applied and furthered to understand rural adolescent risk behavior within this special context. The principal goals of this study were to (1) uncover rural, Appalachian adolescents’ lay conceptualizations of risk and (2) explore how aspects of rural Appalachian culture function as both risk and protective factors in the lives of these adolescents. Findings suggest prevention interventions aimed at such rural youth should be culturally grounded. |
