A Comparison of Adolescents' Fears from Montreal and Vancouver

Adolescence is a developmental period often filled with uncertainty, conflict, and major life changes. Fear, a powerful human emotion, represents a normal response to active or perceived threat experienced by all individuals at all stages of life. Adolescents were found to experience fears relevant to their stage in life. Issues of acceptance by peers, the formulation of one's identity, discovering intimate relationships, and the uncertainty of their future are all typical adolescent concerns. Substantial interindividual variability was found to exist in the manifestation, acquisition, and persistence of fears. Findings revealed that as a whole the three most commonly reported fears concern their future, issues related to the environment, and AIDS. With respect to location, adolescents in Vancouver report significantly more fears, especially fears of violence and pain and death, than do those from Montreal. Montrealers most frequently expressed fears of the future, AIDS, and political instability. Developmental trends revealed an increase in fears of the future, the environment, and political instability, and a decrease in fears of violence and peer pressure as they get older. Females in general were found to express more fears than their male counterparts in most categories. The results are discussed with respect to situational and demographic factors, developmental changes, and gender differences.

Familial and social influences on juvenile gambling behavior

Social learning theory maintains that individuals model, learn and maintain behaviors that are observed, appealing and reinforcing. As such, parents and family members can often serve as significant models for gambling. Four hundred and seventy seven children between the ages of 9 and 14 completed a questionnaire inquiring about their gambling activities, including where and with whom gambling occurs, as well as information concerning their perceptions of their own gambling behavior. Results indicate that 86% of children who gamble regularly reported gambling with family members. Fifty-three percent of students who gambled within the previous 12 months reported gambling with their siblings, 40% gambled with their parents, 46% gambled with other relatives, and 75% gambled in their own homes. Students' responses also indicated gambling with their friends (75%), gambling alone (18%), and with strangers (8%). As children's age increases they tend to gamble more at friend's homes and at school. Prevalence rates indicated that 81% of the total sample had gambled at one point in their lives and 52% of those children reported gambling once a week or more. Eleven percent reported that gambling makes them feel important, 27% feel they gamble more than they desire to do so, and only 10% of the grade 8 students fear being caught gambling, suggesting gambling activities to be a socially acceptable behavior. Several clinical and research questions are addressed.