Risk-taking behavior refers to engaging in actions or activities that have the potential to be harmful or dangerous, increasing the risk of unintentional injuries and violence. This can include misusing alcohol, binge drinking, taking illicit substances, driving under the influence, or engaging in unprotected sex.
Here we discuss the potential causes of risk-taking behaviors. We also explore several risk-taking examples that can harm a person's health and well-being, along with providing a few tips for getting help.
Causes of Risk-Taking Behaviors
There are a number of reasons why people might engage in risky behaviors. Understanding these reasons can be helpful when it comes to addressing them.
Thrill-Seeking
Given that risk-taking behaviors are potentially dangerous, some people wonder why anyone would take part. On one hand, the behaviors put those individuals in harm's way. On the other hand, they also give participants the chance to experience a thrill followed by emotions of relief or triumph.
Driving fast, for example, may lead to a car accident that harms the individual who is driving and others on the street. In the moment and directly after, however, it may bring about positive feelings from the thrill of a fast ride followed by relief in not getting caught by the police.
In some cases, people engage in risk-taking behaviors simply because they enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with it. These people are often referred to as "thrill seekers" and might take risks even when there is no real benefit in doing so.
Social Influences
Risky behaviors can sometimes be a way to gain social approval or acceptance. Peer pressure, for example, can play a significant role in risk-taking behaviors. If someone sees their friends or peers doing risky things and wants to feel accepted by them, they might engage in those behaviors too.
This is particularly true during late adolescence when teens typically feel that conforming to their social group is important. With their friends' influences, teens often engage in some amount of testing their abilities and exploring limits as they forge their own identities. This becomes problematic when it puts their health and well-being at risk.
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Mental Health
Certain mental health conditions can contribute to risk-taking behaviors. For example, individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to engage in risky behaviors because they tend to be more impulsive. People with bipolar disorder are also more likely to take risks during manic and hypomanic episodes.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is in and of itself a risky behavior, but using alcohol and other substances can also contribute to additional risk-taking. For example, research indicates that people with alcohol dependence engage in more high-risk behaviors, especially after bouts of heavy drinking, due to both impulsivity and sensation seeking.
Recap
There are many different reasons why people engage in high-risk actions. As with other types of behaviors, genetic and environmental factors often influence how likely people are to participate in these types of behaviors.
Risk-Taking Examples
Risk-taking behavior can include a range of actions. Some carry more serious consequences than others and, in some cases, may involve the occurrence of more than one high-risk behavior at a time.
Examples of risk-taking behaviors that people may engage in include:
- Criminal activity such as stealing, vandalism, or trespassing
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or engaging in dangerous driving, such as street racing or texting while driving
- Engaging in extreme sports that have a high risk of injury or death
- Gambling, often betting more than they can afford to lose
- Getting into physical fights or altercations
- Having sex with strangers, or engaging in sex without using protection against sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancies
- Sexting or sharing sexually explicit content on social media apps
- Skipping school
- Tobacco use
Even when risk-takers engage in widely practiced behaviors, such as drinking or smoking cigarettes, they put their lives at risk as deaths associated with these behaviors are higher than deaths associated with illicit drug use. Still, risk-takers tend to ignore the consequences of their behaviors.
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Who Engages in Risk-Taking Behaviors?
There are a number of factors that can make it more likely that people will engage in risky behavior. Here are some of the demographics with higher rates, according to research.
Young Adults
Age can play a role in how likely a person is to engage in risky behaviors. While these behaviors are present throughout the lifespan, young adults are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors than older adults.
Some studies have found that these behaviors are the most prevalent in 19 to 29-year-olds. Others suggest that risk-taking behaviors peak in the teen years and decline with age, as people become more risk-averse.
The brain is still developing and maturing in the early years of life. As a result, teens and young adults are often more impulsive, more likely to take risks, and less likely to consider the consequences.
Males
A person's biological sex may also have an impact on whether they engage in risk-taking behavior. Some research indicates that males are more likely to be risk-takers than females. This difference may be due to having higher levels of testosterone.
Although the hormone estradiol—which is higher in females—has also been associated with taking greater risks, as has higher cortisol levels, which is often referred to as the "stress hormone."
Social factors, like the pressure to conform to gender norms, can also play a role. For example, males might feel pressure to take risks to appear "masculine" while females might feel pressure to avoid risk-taking to appear "feminine."
People With Certain Genes
Genetics appear to play a role in risk-taking behaviors as well. Some researchers have identified certain genes that tend to be more present in individuals who engage in risky behaviors.
Other studies have made this connection by studying the genes of twins. According to one piece of research, financial risk-taking was determined to be roughly 29% inherited while safety-related risk-taking had a 55% heritability rate.
Impulsive and Adventurous Personalities
Certain personality traits may also influence risk-taking behaviors. For example, people who are more impulsive, sensation-seeking, or adventurous are more likely to take risks. Additionally, if a person's Big 5 personality traits change, their level of engagement in risky behaviors tends to change as well.
Individuals With Mental Health Conditions
Certain mental health conditions may also contribute to an increased risk for risk-taking. One is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study of 234 military veterans with PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury found that these individuals were more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior, especially when in a negative state.
According to the study, this is due in part to veterans with PTSD often being more impulsive. They also tend to be more sensation-seeking, feel a sense of invincibility, and are prone to a higher level of boredom.
Getting Help for Risky Behaviors
If we find ourselves engaging in risky behaviors such as drug abuse, unprotected sex, or gambling, it's time to get help. Risk-taking behavior can cause us physical harm, such as by contracting a sexually transmitted infection, or lead to financial losses that we can't recover from without some heavy lifting.
Working with a psychotherapist can help address the underlying causes that might be contributing to risk-taking behaviors. Support groups can provide access to others who are going through similar experiences.
Social support is also important. Consider confiding in a close friend or family member who can reinforce accountability when the urge to engage in risky behaviors strikes.
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