Safeguarding and Risk Management in Teenagers: Issues, Risk Assessments, and Interventions

This essay discusses safeguarding and risk management in teenagers, including issues such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual exploitation, and violence. It also covers risk assessments and interventions to improve safeguarding in teenagers.

SAFEGUARDING
AND RISK
MANAGEMENT IN
TEENAGERS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Safeguarding is the measure action that taken to protect children, teenagers and elder
people, promote the welfare of children and prevent them from harmful activities. Child
protection is the part of safeguarding and it focus on protecting individual and identifying the
cause of harm. Safeguarding is essential process that protect children, young people and adults
from harm, maltreatment, abuse and neglect. The safety and wellbeing of children, adults and
teenagers are more important as they come at workplace, it includes citizen health and social
safety, human rights and provide them safe environment to live free from harm. Examples of
safeguarding includes- sexual exploitation, allegations at workplace and radicalisation.
Additionally, this essay covers, issues and complication regrading safeguarding in teenagers, risk
assessments and interventions to improve safeguarding in teenagers (Sironen & et. al., (2020).
MAIN BODY
Safeguarding issues concern is about to worries that they may be at high risk, unable to
protect themselves against harm, abuse and deterioration, physical abuse, emotional abuse,
sexual exploitation and violence. In teenager’s increase incidents of self-harm and suicide
because of their personal and professional situation, teenagers at high risk and that is harmful for
the physical, mental and emotional health. Young people have adverse effect of environment that
living with abuse, neglect and violence and this can become increasing evidence because of their
social behaviour it results in self-harm and may lead to suicide (Wisener & Schuitemaker,
(2018). Safeguarding issues in teenagers mostly within family member are very complex and
they make decision to struggle alone, these issues effects teenagers with harmful activities such
as physical abuse in teenagers are change in behaviour, fear towards violence, depression and
angry outbursts. Issus arises with sexual abuses, with in organization, self-neglect and financial
abuse are most common in teenagers are unexplained injuries, person become angry and
depressed change in behaviour, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STDs),
lack of care, bullying, fear towards staff member, lack of personal hygiene, lack of medical
appointment, unexpected cash withdrawal without permission to their parents, self-harm, alcohol
or drug misuse, smoking, accommodation problem, unemployment, increased incidents of
isolation, alienation from families these issues are most common in teenagers. Sometimes
chronic diseases are the issue which may lead to early death, unintended pregnancies are the
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major problem of teenagers which may cause long term and short term influences on adult
women, which may affect child development, infertility and maternal death. Issues related to
their professional skills that include grade failure, language difficulties, behaviour problem and
lack of focus these issues may affect their mental health which leads to depression, anger and
mental illness. Teenagers still face embarrassment and awkwardness with their parents.
Teenagers issues with hormones changes, issues of identities and over intake of alcohol and
drugs, teen ages have most difficulties with family issues, restriction. Age between 13 to 9 is the
most awkward growth stage of the life. During this age, adult exposes some overwhelming
internal and external struggles (Avery & et. al., (2021).
Risk assessment is an examination to identify and analyse the information regarding
cause of harm, prevent and protect from abuse and maltreatment, it also determines whether the
individuals take enough precautions. Educators should ensure proper guidance to teenagers about
different problems associated with pregnancies and mental health risks. Illicit use of drugs,
substance abuse and uncontrollable consumption of alcohol along with smoking should be
monitored and the health risks of these issues should be made aware to them in a social setting
(Radford & et. al., (2021).Information about the appropriate use of contraceptives like condoms
and intrauterine devices should be accessible under the counselling of a qualified doctor.
Teenagers suffering from family abandonment issues, divorced parents and alcohol addicted
guardians should be assessed and proper foster care should be provided to them. The overall goal
is to identify the causes of harm in teenagers and implement appropriate safeguards that protect
individuals from risk and guide them to make relationships between family and loved ones that
may help to feel stress-free. It is important that the individual involved in the risk estimation be
familiar with them because that may help in protecting from harm and providing affordable
guidance by which they cope up with the risk, when risk level is at tolerable level, the safety
team continue to eliminate the risk factors. After the determination of risk factors select the
appropriate controls for risk level, spread awareness for safety to maintain the social and mental
health of teenagers (Avery & et. al., (2021).The most adverse effect during adulthood, the more
they like to suffer with negative health and social outcomes which includes depression,
consumption of alcohol, smoking, suicide, self-harm, injuries, unwanted pregnancies, HIV and
sexually transmitted infection (STI), may participate in risky sexual activity and behaviour these
factors are analysed and they get valid guidance and protection to protect themselves. Parents
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need to identify their child’s teenage growth issues and deal with friendly manner to discuss the
concern. Teenagers are at high risk of mental and physical health issues, face bullying, began
unhealthy patterns with drugs and alcohol, feel lots of pressure from parents and society and
conflict with expectations. Approximately 30% teenagers in the UK has been affected by
bullying in school, college as well as online and at workplaces which includes gossip and rumour
spreading and this potentially affected the behaviour of children. Teenagers have had sex by age
18 which may also affect their reproduction life, risk assessment analysis 20 million Sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs) are diagnosed every year. It is more important to discuss with
children about sex it may help teenagers to cope up with the problem. An annual survey of drug
and alcohol use among teens is almost 40% that is harmful for physical and mental health
(Wallace, (2021).
Teenagers brings many changes physically, mentally and socially, adolescents increase
their ability to make decision and set long term goals. Teenagers faces many complications at
this stage where they are expected to learn about their development and professional skills.
Parents may deal with their children about their issues at teenagers growth. Parents should take
responsibility, stop complaining every time, provide healthy and complete meal, make fruit and
vegetable interesting that may increase the ability to make right decision, build communication
relationship between child to discuss in positive way, make sure that policies are helping instead
of hurting, billing to listen their opinion about their life, needs and wants. Early identification
includes changes in sleep pattern, eating habits, being aware towards early sign may help to stop
further damage and provide appropriate guidance towards healthy way to deal with their concern.
Concerns that teenagers are faced with multiple changes, parents and other guardians should be
aware of concerns that teenagers facing, be friendly with them to communicate without
hesitation (Nelson, (2019).Parents examine signs of stress, anxiety, depression, poor eating
habits, disturbance in sleep, lack of concentration and address them soon because early detection
may destroy these risk factors. Every parents have different interpretation towards parenting, a
healthy relationship between parent and child is most important during teenager stage, which
results child feeling comfortable discussing with their parents. Being sensitive towards teenagers
help children to exposed emotions is important in understanding their transformation. Sometimes
anger, jealousy, confusion, dislike towards their parents and family members needs for privacy
(Oloo, (2022) .Educating the child about sex will reduce unwanted pregnancies and infertility
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among teenagers women that improve reproductive life (Hartwig & Marlow, (2022). Cyber
addiction is the fastest-growing problem among teenagers it may have a negative impact on
mental and emotional health, parents should take responsibility about the children cyber safety
and protect them from the internet. Most youth’s ability to develop positive esteem that is
affected by family and society criticism. Parents have to build relationship and confidence with
their child to cope up with their negative thoughts, effecting use of interaction will foster to make
trust and understanding the feelings and emotion of their child, it may help them to feel
comfortable and safe (Stenton & Cohen, (2020).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is concluded that safeguarding is an action taken to protect
human rights and determine the cause of harm. Safeguarding is concern about child’s wellbeing
and includes physical, emotional, sexual and neglect abuse. Safeguarding and risk management
is important because identifying causes at an early stage may reduce the risk factors. In
teenagers, risk management is an important tool to support high-quality decision-making. Parents
have to find innovative way to connect with their children and build relationships that support
them from a difficult phase of growing up. Early identification may stop the further damage and
also provides appropriate solution to cope up with problems. Risk assessment determines the
cause of harm in teenagers like- consumption of alcohol and drugs, depression, bullying, cyber
addiction, unintended pregnancy, drinking and smoking pressure, fear towards any staff member
these all factors are determined and provide intervention to improve safeguarding in teenagers.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Avery, E. J., Kim, M., & Park, S. (2021). Self-efficacy and other considerations in performance
of risk-reducing behaviors during a major disease outbreak. Journal of health
communication, 26(2), 112-120.
Hartwig, E. K., & Marlow, M. (2022). Finding hope at camp: An investigation of the influence
of grief camp on youth depression, anxiety, and self-concept indicators. Journal of Loss
and Trauma, 27(2), 149-158.
Nelson, L. (2019). The Rationale of Risk Management. Handbook of Counseling and Counselor
Education.
Oloo, O. O. A. D. (2022). Online digital platform use by adolescents in Kenya. Journal of
Children and Media, 16(2), 261-270.
Radford, L., Stanley, N., & Elwen, A. (2021). Safeguarding Children and Young People Exposed
to Domestic Violence and Abuse. Working with Domestic Violence and Abuse Across the
Lifecourse: Understanding Good Practice, 22.
Sironen, S., Primmer, E., Leskinen, P., Similä, J., & Punttila, P. (2020). Context sensitive policy
instruments: A multi-criteria decision analysis for safeguarding forest habitats in
Southwestern Finland. Land Use Policy, 92, 104460.
Stenton, S., & Cohen, M. C. (2020). Assessment of neonaticide in the setting of concealed and
denied pregnancies. Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 16(2), 226-233.
Wallace, L. N. (2021). Differences in Social Media Monitoring Practices Based on Child and
Parent Gender. Family Relations, 70(5), 1412-1426.
Wisener, K., & Schuitemaker, N. (2018). Aboriginal Youth Experiences with Cyberbullying: A
Qualitative Analysis of Aboriginal e-mentoring BC. International Journal of Indigenous
Health, 13(1), 5-19.
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