40 • PART i: A ModEl foR SElf-REgulATion And EngAgEMEnT
Engagement in Risky Behavior
Students report engagement in risky behaviors ranging from smoking, to sex, to failure
to self-protect in risky situations. By way of example, during the 30 days before the sur-
vey, 21.9% of the students nationwide had ridden one or more times in a vehicle with a
driver who had been drinking alcohol (Kann et al., 2014). For school-age children and
adolescents, it can be very difficult to make the healthy decisions in the current moment.
Indeed results from the 2013 YRBSS indicated that many high school students engage in
behaviors that have been associated with chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, can-
cer). For instance, during the 30 days before the survey, 15.7% of high school students had
smoked cigarettes, and 8.8% had used smokeless tobacco (Kann et al., 2014). Nationwide,
9.3% of students reported that they had smoked a whole cigarette before the age of 13 years
(Kann et al., 2014).
According to Kann et al. (2014), many high school students nationwide engage in
sexual risk behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Specifically, nearly half
(46.8%) of students have had sexual intercourse and 34.0% have had sexual intercourse,
during the 3 months before the survey, with 5.6% reporting having had sexual intercourse
before the age of 13 (Kann et al., 2014). Of the students surveyed, 15.0% reported having
had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life (Kann et al., 2014). Also
of concern, among the sexually active students, only 59.1% reported using a condom dur-
ing their most recent sexual intercourse (Kann et al., 2014). Nationwide, 34.0% of students
had had sexual intercourse with at least one person during the 3 months before the survey
(Kann et al., 2014). Among these currently sexually active students, 22.4% had drunk alcohol
or used drugs before their last sexual intercourse (Kann et al., 2014). Only 19.0% reported
that they or their partner had used birth control during their most recent sexual intercourse
(Kann et al., 2014). Nationwide, only 12.9% of students had ever been tested for HIV (Kann
et al., 2014). Yoga and mindfulness practices are centered on calming the mind in the present
moment so that students can have access to their wisest self when making decisions.
Note, due to the scope of this text, only the more prevalent challenges and disorders
are included. There are, of course, children with other important challenges whom school
personnel support, encourage, and educate daily. Please see the web pages for the National
Association of School Psychologists (www.nasponline.org), the American School Counselors
Association (www.schoolcounselor.org), the School Social Work Association of America
(www.sswaa.org), and the Association for Children’s Mental Health (www.acmh-mi.org/)
for support, guidance, resources, and text recommendations.
ConCluSion
In their study of lifetime prevalence of mental disorders among U.S. adolescents (N = 10,123
adolescents aged 13–18), Merikangas et al. (2010) found that 40% of participants met the
criteria for a mental disorder. Further, of those, 22.2% described severe impairment and/or
distress; 11.2% with mood disorders, 8.3% with anxiety disorders, and 9.6% with behavioral
disorders. Without including those at risk—those who are smoking, having adolescent sex,
are pregnant, dealing with unreported sexual assault and trauma, challenged with obesity