Brief report: risk-taking behaviors in a non-western urban adolescent sample

This study analyzes the age and gender related risk-taking behaviors of Turkish adolescents in an urban sample. A self-report risk taking scale was administered to 280 adolescents between the ages of 12-21. Results revealed that both the type and the frequency of risk-taking behaviors were changed according to age and gender. All risky behaviors except hitchhiking increased until the college level and than decreased. Boys outperformed the girls in most of the risk-taking behaviors.