ABSTRACT
Professionals working in the area of adolescent health generally agree that adolescence is a period characterized by a high frequency of risk-taking behaviour. This consensus has been possible especially since Jessor and Jessor (1977) defined the psychological and social utility of risk for this age group, Zuckerman (1971, 1979) showed that the 'sensationseeking' curve reaches its apogee at the end of adolescence (16-19 years of age), and Holinger (1981) compared adolescent risk-taking behaviour with a tendency for selfdestructiveness. Recently, several articles and books (Tonkin, 1987; Special issue of the journal of Adolescent Health, 1991; Tursz et al, 1993; Jonah, 1997) and publications from surveillance systems (Kann et al, 1998) have reviewed the state of knowledge about these behaviours, and the possibility of preventing them (Dryfoos, 1991).
