The Romance Of Risk. Why Teenagers Do The Things They Do

Editorial Review

Dr. Lynn Ponton has devoted her clinical practice to a particular community—teenagers in trouble. Whether these kids are struggling with peers, experimenting with drugs, stealing cars, or having unprotected sex, they have something in common: they are all involved in unhealthy risk-taking. And their parents are scared. “How did my child get involved in this dangerous situation?” they ask. “And what can I do?”Their fears are justified: today’s teens have more opportunities for taking dangerous risks than ever before. But in The Romance of Risk, Dr. Ponton refutes the traditional idea that risk-taking is primarily an angry power struggle with parents—so-called teenage rebellion—and re-defines it as a potentially positive testing process whereby challenge and risk are the primary tools adolescents use to find out who they are and determine who they will become.This new perspective is revealed in a series of mesmerizing tales about individual adolescents and their families. Among others, we meet Jill, a 13-year-old thrill-seeking runaway; Hannah, a privileged daughter of suburbia who suffers from anorexia; and Joe, a high school senior with a serious drinking problem. Through these stories, we come to understand Dr. Ponton’s startling observation that teenagers must confront and experience challenge and risk along the path to self-discovery.For adolescents, the powerful allure of the adult world is equaled only by the fear of failing to find a place in it. Parents can ease that transition into adulthood, however, by promoting healthy risk-taking so that dangerous options will be avoided.In The Romance of Risk, parents will learn how they can begin to understand rather than fear adolescent risk-taking, and how to communicate with their children about it. After all, teenagers will always romanticize risk. But with the support and guidance of parents and other adults, odds are the risks they take will be the right ones.

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Customer Reviews

"Excellent, enjoyable and well written, overall smashing"

1997-12-06
This book was like a box of chocolates, so many great and spiffy stories to read and I didn't know which to choose. I advise anybody with free time and an intrest in teenagers or just an intrest in finding out about the meaning of adolesence to read this great book!

The most provacative,well written book I have read in years.

1997-11-22
The content of this book was so thought-provoking and informative about adolescence that I wanted to give it to my teenage daughter to read. The stories aout the teens are exciting, helping me understand my teenage years and my daughters'. This book should be read by every parent and teenager!

amazingly informative

2001-09-24
I loved this book- although a little technical, it provided a wealth of information about how parents and teens should intereact around the topic of risk taking. I have found it useful in talking to my own teenage daughters.

An Excellent Resource - Rather Technical

2001-02-07
Dr. Lynn Ponton has been treating adolescents for many years and through this book has attempted to chronicle the key lives and issues that have influenced her views of teenager psychology. Presenting a range of often likeable characters, Dr. Ponton does an excellent job of showing the intelligence and resilience of her patients while at the same time demonstrating how parents can feel angry and confused about how to parent their teen. The book illustrates all the main issues surrounding adolescents, eating disorders, drugs/alcohol, sex, and abuse, as well as analyzing the complexity of mother/son, mother/daughter, father/son, and father/daughter relationships.

If I had to offer one criticism of this book, it would be that Dr. Ponton's language (particularly at the beginning of the book) tends to be extremely clinical and often presents a layer to wade through to find her point. Although we live in the era of the pseudo-psychological talk show, and some of the language will be familiar, parents and teens seeking answers to a problem may find this quality of the book off-putting. Conversely, I think this book would be of intense interest for other therapists who are interested in seeing various past and current adolescent theory put into practice by a skilled practioner. The stories of the teens and their families are compelling to all audiences, however, and I cautiously recommend this book to a large audience.

Important read for parents 2000-12-14
I found this book to be very interesting and easy to read and recommend it to other parents. Dr. Ponton uses colorful examples from her work with teens to explain the motivations behind some of the dangerous and not so dangerous things our kids do. Moreover, she makes the important argument that teenage risk taking is a normal part of development in our culture. I felt like I was in better shape to relate to and understand my teenager after reading the book. Her other book on adolescent sexuality is also good.

Outstanding perspective on needs and motives of adolescents 1998-11-11
Dr. Ponton writes an unusual book that gives voice to troubled teens and their families, using their engaging stories to teach about contemporary adolescence. As the reader eavesdrops on these lives through absorbing narrative, accounts of therapy, thoughtful reflection and application to relevant issues, and analyses of family interactions, important facts and facets of adolescent development and devlopmental issues are learned almost effortlessly. The book is engaging and at times exciting, as we come to know these teens and their struggles. The variety of teens and adolescent problems profiled is impressive--from the general need to explore and define the self (Jill) to gang involvement and aggression (Evan and Cecilia), from drugs and sexual activity to self-mutilation, depression and anorexia nervosa. Readers also learn about mental health services, and how therapy helps adolescents and families grow and change. This is a terrific book for parents, educators, any mental health field worker, or teens themselves! I used this book as a supplemental reader to a course I taught in adolescent development at a major university where I am a doctoral student in clinical psychology. Students loved it, and several bought copies as gifts for their parents or other family members. I will be using it again for a section of Adolescent Development I will be teaching in spring semester, 1999.

A diamond in the rough. This book must be read! 1998-04-19
The author weaves her creative skills of writing and her intellectual skills into the "Mona Lisa" of books. It pulls you in, in the first paragraph.