Underage Drinking Sources for your Essay

Developmental Risk Factors for Underage Drinking


Another major influence on adolescent social development is peers. The nature of this influence can be positive, negative, or both, but for most adolescents the importance of peers to identity exploration and behavioral choices cannot be overestimated (Brechwald & Prinstein, 2011)

Developmental Risk Factors for Underage Drinking


The formation of identity during adolescence is one of the most important tasks that a teenager must undertake, according to Erik Erikson (ACT for Youth, 2002). The coincident emergence of risk-taking behavior and identity exploration is probably linked, since experimenting with new social roles and increased autonomy is inherently risky (Brown et al

Developmental Risk Factors for Underage Drinking


Risk Factors Pitkanen (2006) reviewed the research literature concerning risk factors for underage drinking and found that most fit into two categories: (1) Family and (2) socio-emotional (Table 1). Table 1. Risk factors for underage drinking (Pitkanen, 2006)

Developmental Risk Factors for Underage Drinking


Unfortunately, habitual heavy alcohol use will result in significant changes in an adolescent's brain. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are both smaller in size, while the local integrity of the white matter is compromised in eight brain regions (Squeglia, Jacobus, & Tapert, 2009)