Instructions - Risky Business

Measuring risk and resilience

Based on our empirical research, we have identified normative patterns of misperceptions in adolescence that increase the risk of victimization and perpetration of peer aggression. All teenagers encounter a common set of risk factors for peer aggression as they progress through adolescence because of the limitations imposed on social development by cognitive and emotional growth. Our subject pool is large and diverse. The public school districts represented in the normative sample are Bridgeport, New York City, Yonkers, Wyandanch, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Cleveland, Chicago, Denver, Fort Collins, Los Angeles, San Diego, and many local districts in New Jersey, including Alpine, Leonia, Bergenfield, Clifton, Montclair, West Orange, Newark, Berkley Heights, Edison and Monmouth County Vocational School District.

The peer group is the focus of Risky Business training. It is a specialized “organ” vital to adolescent development. Its structure is not arbitrary, but highly organized and differentiated, much like a bee hive. It coalesces when adolescents assume certain social roles within the group interaction. We name these prototypes in Risky Business: Instigators, Dupes, Enablers and Heroes.

Instigators pressure their peers to take risks. They are the “impulse” of the peer group. On the positive side, they promote development by encouraging friends to experiment with new things, but on the negative side, they may push too hard.

Dupes assume the risk for the group. They are the drones in the beehive who surrender their autonomy to do the work of the group in exchange for inclusion. Sometimes this is positive trade-off, but other times the reward of membership is overshadowed by the risks assumed.

Enablers evaluate risk-taking for the group. They are the “deciding vote,” temporarily replacing parental influence. The group does not move without the head-nod of the Enabler. Developing good judgment is a complicated task. Too little trust can be as risky as blind faith.

Finally we come to the Hero. This is a special character and is the focus of Risky Business. The Hero is the member of the group who must make the critical decision about the high risk behavior under consideration. The curriculum teaches three skills to help the Hero negotiate peer group pressures most effectively.

Students complete Perception and Empathy Scales for the Instigators, Dupes, Enablers and Heroes shown in the Risky Business vignettes. The Perception Scales consist of three items that evaluate the motivations and intentions of the peer prototypes. The Hero has another scale that evaluates his or her perceived autonomy. The Empathy Scales measure how strongly the students “like” and “feel like” the associated character. These comprise source materials that inform us on normative misperceptions and social development in adolescence.