Video transcript
Onscreen text: What is risky behaviour?
Nina (age 13): Risky things are like, basically, doing things we know we shouldn’t be doing.
Smriti (age 14): Risky behaviour is when, like, someone decides to do something rash and they haven’t really calculated what they’re doing.
David (age 12): Umm, disobeying a school rule, that you know is wrong and that you know will be bad. Doing something that you could get harmed from, and doing something that you just know isn’t good.
Onscreen text: Would you ever take risks?
David: I’m not sure really. I’m not sure if there would be a time that I would do risky behaviour. I’m not sure, maybe. I really don’t know.
Nina: If we’re lost somewhere and we’re, like, you know, ‘Should we ask someone, or what should we do?’ that kind of thing. I try to think of someone I know who is responsible so, Dad or someone, and so, I make my decisions. Most of it is what I think is smart or not. Sometimes, you know, I’ll look at other people and see what they would do.
Smriti: You have to think about things before doing it. You have to think about it thoroughly, weigh the pros and cons of doing things and that has been instilled in me from quite a young age. And I don’t think I engage in any sort of risky behaviour at all.
Nina: I think we try and stay away from doing things like purposely taking risks. Basically I think about someone I know well, and would they do it or not? For example, I think about my older cousin or someone – would they actually do this or not? Does it look smart or anything? I probably wouldn’t do it if I hadn’t done it before without, you know, without knowing that much about it or anything. Yeah, I’d probably stay away from it.
Onscreen text: Views on risky behaviour
David: It depends. Sometimes, people don’t really think it’s all that great. Sometimes people just laugh at it. It’s... people view it... in my group people view it just as though you were doing something normal except... it’s got risk.
Oscar (age 15): I’d definitely be like ‘Oh, what are you doing? Don’t be an idiot.’ Definitely. Umm, let them know that it’s their choice, if they want to do it, they can do it. But let them know that, whatever happens, I’m still going to be their friend afterwards. I can acknowledge that you’re doing it but I don’t have to do it, so... just making that clear because there are people who are followers and people who do their own thing and people are cool with that.
Mary (mother of 2): I think my boys are more likely to be one of the watchers, egging somebody else on, and laughing about it, than them being the risk takers. They’re more likely to do it only with others doing it and doing it and doing it. I don’t think they would be one of the risk takers out of a group, to get everyone to watch them doing it.
Trish (mother of 2): I’m often trying to say to him, just remember when you’re with people you can make wrong decisions, so whatever you do, always make sure you tell the truth and if you do get into a situation – with both our children – we say whatever time of the day, you will call us, and we would be there to help you. So no matter what happens, just let us know what’s happened.