While engaging in a discussion with a group of teens about risk behaviors, one of the teens says, "That will never happen to me." How should the nurse interpret this statement?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The teen is exhibiting the invincibility fable, which is an aspect of egocentric thinking (not unselfishness), in adolescence that causes teens to view themselves as immune to dangerous situations, such as unprotected sex, fast driving, and drug abuse. Formal operations is a stage of cognitive development associated with adolescents that is characterized by the ability to use abstract reasoning to conceptualize and solve problems. In egocentric thinking, children naturally view themselves as the center of their own universe and may cause them to think they are at the root of a problem. Relational aggression involves disrupting peer relationships by excluding or manipulating others and spreading rumors.

While Engaging in a Discussion with a Group of Teens