It's right, but risky too: Inclusive behavior as a positive risk in adolescence

Abstract

Introduction: Although adolescent risk-taking is often characterized as negative, more recent work focuses on risk as a spectrum of negative to positive behaviors. We propose inclusive behavior as a new category of positive risk-taking focused on helping and facilitating social belonging for those who are marginalized or excluded. We use a qualitative approach to explore adolescents' perceptions of the risks involved in inclusive behavior and the factors that motivate acting inclusively at school.

Methods: 30 focus groups were conducted at 16 middle and high schools across the United States. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 194 students in grades 6-12 (11-19 years old). Students were majority female (61%) and self-identified as white (68%). Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis.

Results: Students often perceived the decision to act inclusively as risky because it involved weighing uncertain outcomes, including potential costs (e.g. peer rejection) and rewards (e.g. friendship). Students primarily focused on the role of peer group influence, but also discussed how school norms, the identity of the peer they were trying to include, and their own motivations affected the perceived risk involved in acting inclusively.

Conclusions: This study provides an exploratory look at adolescents' experiences of inclusive behavior. Findings support the current conceptualization of positive risk-taking behavior and suggest a multi-level framework for inclusive risks. Exploring the factors that make inclusive behavior differentially risky across individuals and contexts is a first step towards understanding how inclusive behavior fits within the positive risk-taking framework and designing interventions to reduce the risks involved.

Keywords: Inclusive behavior; Peers; Positive risk-taking; School.