Which risk factor relates to the presence or absence of parents in a teen's life?

Which risk factor relates to the presence or absence of parents in a teen's life?

• A. Misperception of peer norms
• B. Loss of positive body image
• C. Loss of parents
• D. All of the above

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is how family context, especially whether a parent is present, shapes a teen’s risk environment. When parents are in the teen’s life, their supervision, guidance, and emotional support act as protective factors that reduce opportunities or pressures to engage in risky behaviors. If parents are absent or have been lost, that protective layer is weakened, leaving the teen more vulnerable to influences outside the family, such as peers or other stressors, and increasing the likelihood of risky outcomes. The other options describe risks that aren’t directly about whether a parent is in the teen’s life. Misperceiving what peers do or want (peer norms) and struggles with body image relate to social and personal factors, not parental presence. Therefore, the risk factor most directly tied to the presence or absence of parents is the loss of parents.

The key idea here is how family context, especially whether a parent is present, shapes a teen’s risk environment. When parents are in the teen’s life, their supervision, guidance, and emotional support act as protective factors that reduce opportunities or pressures to engage in risky behaviors. If parents are absent or have been lost, that protective layer is weakened, leaving the teen more vulnerable to influences outside the family, such as peers or other stressors, and increasing the likelihood of risky outcomes.

The other options describe risks that aren’t directly about whether a parent is in the teen’s life. Misperceiving what peers do or want (peer norms) and struggles with body image relate to social and personal factors, not parental presence. Therefore, the risk factor most directly tied to the presence or absence of parents is the loss of parents.