Teenager shielded by resilience.

Boosting Your Teens: How Resilience Can Protect Against Risky Behaviors

Rhea Morgan in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"New research highlights the power of resilience in shielding adolescents from risk-taking, offering a path to healthier futures."

Adolescence is a period of significant change and exploration, but it also brings potential risks. Risky behaviors, such as substance use, violence, and early sexual activity, can have immediate and long-lasting consequences for a teen's health and well-being. While it's tempting to focus on preventing these negative outcomes directly, emerging research suggests a different approach: building resilience.

Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity, isn't just a buzzword. It's a powerful protective factor that can buffer against the negative influences that lead to risk-taking. A new study from Canadian researchers has found compelling evidence that certain personal characteristics, often considered markers of resilience, can significantly reduce the likelihood of teens engaging in risky behaviors, even when they've experienced childhood adversities.

This article will delve into the findings of this groundbreaking study, exploring the specific traits that contribute to resilience and how parents, educators, and healthcare providers can foster these qualities in adolescents. By shifting the focus from risk prevention to strength promotion, we can empower teens to make healthier choices and build brighter futures.

Unpacking the Study: Resilience as a Shield

The study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, analyzed data from the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, a large-scale survey of youth health. Researchers examined responses from over 22,000 Canadian youth aged 11-15, focusing on the relationship between resilience, risk-taking behaviors, and childhood adversities.

The research team developed a resilience scale based on five key traits: empathy, confidence, a sense of meaning or optimism, and self-control. They then looked at how these traits correlated with a composite measure of risk-taking behavior, which included smoking, alcohol use, fighting, and lack of bike helmet use. They also examined the association between resilience and early initiation of sexual activity (before age 14).

Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
Confidence: Belief in one's own abilities and worth.
Optimism/Sense of Meaning: A positive outlook on life and a sense of purpose.
Self-Control: The ability to regulate one's emotions and behaviors.

The results were striking. The study found a clear, dose-dependent association between greater resilience and diminished risk-taking for both boys and girls. In other words, the more resilient a teen was, the less likely they were to engage in risky behaviors. This relationship held true even after accounting for factors like family and social support, suggesting that resilience can override the detrimental impact of childhood adversity.

Turning Research into Action: Fostering Resilience in Teens

The findings of this study offer a powerful message of hope. By focusing on building resilience, we can empower teens to navigate the challenges of adolescence and make healthier choices. This isn't about ignoring the risks; it's about equipping teens with the internal resources they need to thrive, even in the face of adversity. Parents, educators, and healthcare providers all have a role to play in fostering resilience.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1093/eurpub/cky169, Alternate LINK

Title: Sex, Drugs, Risk And Resilience: Analysis Of Data From The Canadian Health Behaviour In School-Aged Children (Hbsc) Study

Subject: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Journal: European Journal of Public Health

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Authors: Susan P Phillips, Nathan King, Valerie Michaelson, William Pickett

Published: 2018-09-04

Everything You Need To Know

What is resilience, and how does it relate to risky behaviors in teenagers?

Resilience is the ability to adapt and thrive when facing adversity. Research indicates that resilience acts as a protective factor, shielding teenagers from engaging in risky behaviors such as substance use, violence, and early sexual activity. A study highlighted that traits associated with resilience can significantly reduce the likelihood of teens engaging in risky behaviors, even when they have experienced childhood adversities. It emphasizes the importance of promoting resilience to help teenagers make healthier choices.

What specific traits contribute to resilience in adolescents, according to the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study?

The Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study identified five key traits that contribute to resilience in adolescents: empathy, confidence, optimism/sense of meaning, and self-control. Empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Confidence is belief in one's own abilities and worth. Optimism/sense of meaning is having a positive outlook on life and a sense of purpose. Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions and behaviors. These traits are indicators for resilience.

How did the Canadian study measure risk-taking behaviors among the youth participants?

The study used a composite measure of risk-taking behavior, which included factors such as smoking, alcohol use, fighting, and not using a bike helmet. They also considered the early initiation of sexual activity (before age 14) as a risk-taking behavior. These factors were combined to assess the overall level of risk-taking among the 22,000 Canadian youth aged 11-15 involved in the research.

What were the main findings of the study regarding the relationship between resilience and risk-taking in teenagers?

The study demonstrated a clear, dose-dependent association between greater resilience and diminished risk-taking for both boys and girls. This means that the more resilient a teen was, the less likely they were to engage in risky behaviors. This relationship held true even after considering factors like family and social support, indicating that resilience can override the negative impact of childhood adversity.

What practical steps can parents, educators, and healthcare providers take to foster resilience in teenagers and help them avoid risky behaviors?

Parents, educators, and healthcare providers can foster resilience by focusing on building the five key traits identified in the study: empathy, confidence, optimism/sense of meaning, and self-control. This involves creating supportive environments where teenagers feel understood, valued, and empowered to regulate their emotions and behaviors. While the study highlights the importance of building those key traits, further information and support from mental health professionals, school psychologists, and other resources may be required.