Life orientation grade 11 term 3 project risk behaviour memorandum – Life orientation project term3 grade11

Life orientation grade 11 term 3 project risk behaviour memorandum – Life orientation project term3 grade11

Life orientation grade 11 term 3 project risk behaviour memorandum – Life orientation project term3 grade11; The youth of South Africa are constantly exposed to risks, which may promote substance use, unprotected sex, unhealthy eating habits and violence. This behaviour that are usually adopted during their youthful years and often persist into adulthood, are interrelated, and in most cases, are preventable. In addition to resulting in morbidity (obesity) and sometimes mortality (death), this behaviour simultaneously result in many of the social and educational problems that confront the nation, including failure to complete high school, unemployment, and crime. In order to protect the youth from these risk behaviour, it is therefore necessary to educate them at an early age on the dangers and consequences, as well as to foster health promoting behaviour and environments.

2nd South African National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey 2014; The Medical Research Council released the results of the 2nd South African National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey 2014. This nationally representative survey among 10 270 secondary school learners in grades 8 through 11, reports on the prevalence of behaviour that place them at risk for disease and ill health.

Following the first Youth Risk Behaviour Survey (YRBS) in 2008, this survey investigated behaviour related to infectious diseases (sexual risk behaviour and hygiene), injury and trauma (violence and traffic safety), mental health (depression, suicide related behaviour, substance use), and chronic diseases (nutrition and physical activity).

The following is a summary of the 2014 Youth Risky Behaviour Survey:

Some positive developments

Types of risk behaviour

1. Personal safety refers to avoidance of possible harmful situations or persons in your surround- ing. This implies that teenagers should avoid walking alone at night, getting involved in situa- tions of violence, e.g. drinking or walking with strangers.
2. Road use refers to the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include pedestrians, cyclists, motorist, vehicle passengers, etc. Drinking and driving, driving without a driver’s license – all these put the lives of road users at stake.
3. Substance abuse refers to the use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over the counter drugs or alcohol for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used or in exces- sive amounts. Substance abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional and job related prob- lems. Teenagers smoke dagga, tik, nyaope. At times, they start off by experimenting and end up addicted. At times the use of cough mixtures with codeine is abused. All these substances lead to addiction and behaviour that causes self destruction.
4. Sexual behaviour, teenage pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). This is human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour in a manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality and can cause STIs and also lead to unwanted teenage pregnancy. Teenagers engage in unsafe sexual behaviour and get pregnant, leading to dropping out of school. It also leads to contracting serious diseases like HIV/AIDS.
5. Teenage suicide is when a young person deliberately ends their own life.
6. Hygiene and dietary behaviour encompasses food choice and motives, feeding practices, dieting and eating related problems such as obesity, eating disorders and feeding disorders and hygienic processes. Teenagers, at times, because of low self esteem, find themselves wanting to lose weight and engage in methods of weight loss that can lead to anorexia. They later get de- pressed and moody. Some become obese also because of psychological challenges.
7. Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers, or the effect on an individual who is encouraged and wants to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values or behaviours to conform to those of the influencing group or individual. Negative peer pressure leads to unsafe and risky behaviours like substance abuse and unsafe sex practices.

Suggest and discuss solutions to risky behaviours

1. Good communication in the family
2. Engage in positive activities such as sport clubs, art clubs, etc
3. Serve or volunteer in your community
4. Be clear of the consequences of the risk behaviour
5. Talk about values at home and in the community
6. Have good role models in the community