Examinining the negative risk taking behavior of high school students in terms of the variables of psychological symptoms, age and gender: Sample of Ankara province

ABSTRACTEXAMININING THE NEGATIVE RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTSIN TERMS OF THE VARIABLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS, AGE AND GENDER:SAMPLE OF ANKARA PROVINCEERYILMAZ GÜLGEZ, ÖzlemThe research examined the negative risk taking behavior of students going to high school in thecenter of Ankara Province, in terms of the variables of age, gender and psychological symptomsThe universe of the research is comprised of 146,898 students going to high school in thecenter of Ankara Province; and its sample of 384 students. Adolescent Risk Taking Questionnaire wasused to identify the risk taking behaviors of adolescents; Brief Symptom Inventory was used toidentify the levels of psychological symptoms. Information relating to age and gender was obtained bymeans of the information form.To test the significance of the differences, ?t? test was applied in groups having two variables,and One Way Variance Analysis (ANOVA) was applied in groups having more than two variables, tothe data obtained in the research. In cases where a significant ?F? value resulted from the One WayVariance Analysis, Tukey test was applied to find out the group means between which there is asignificant difference. The lowest probability level for significance was established at .05.At the end of the research;1. It was observed that male students engaged in total negative risk taking behavior morefrequently than females and the frequency of the total negative risk taking behavior increasedas age increased.2. It was seen that adolescents at the age of 18 as opposed to those at the age of 16 and 17; andmale adolescents as opposed to female adolescents smoked significantly more frequently.3. It was observed that drinking behavior among the students increased as age increased and malestudents drank more frequently than female students.4. It was found that drug use behavior of students did not differ significantly depending on ageand that male students used drugs more frequently as compared to females.5. It was observed that carriage of sharp and pointed items by high school students did not differdepending on age but that male students carried sharp and pointed items more frequently incomparison with females.6. It was seen that adolescents with high levels of anxiety, hostility, somatization and negativeself esteem engaged in total negative risk taking behavior more frequently, and that there wasno significant difference between the total negative risk taking behavior of students anddepression levels.