Cultural bases of risk behavior: Danish adolescents. Child Dev 64:1842–1855

Danish adolescents aged 12—20. Driving a car while intoxicated was rare even among the oldest adolescents, but riding a bicycle while intoxicated was reported hy the majority of adolescents aged 14-20. Driving a car at high speeds was widespread among the oldest adolescents (aged 18—20), but still lower than rates reported for same-age American adolescents. Rates of sex without contraception were higher than expected, in spite of early and extensive sex education, while rates of illegal drug use other than marijuana were extremely low. Participation in risk behavior was analyzed in relation to sensation seeking, city size, and various family variahles. Results aie discussed in the context ofthe theory of broad and narrow socialization, in which a cultural and multidimensional understanding of socialization is emphasized. Cultural bases of risk behavior: Danish cents in that culture. There have been few adolescents.—In recent years, numerous cross-cultural studies, and few studies that studies have been conducted on adolescent consider the socialization pattems of a cul-risk behavior. In addition to many studies ture as a whole that allow or inhibit adoles-focusing on a particular area of risk bebavior, cent risk behavior, such as automobile driving, sexual behavior