Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescents in disadvantaged communities are left out of the mainstream due to the status of their community and families they belong to, which can have damaging consequences in their development process. This study investigates adolescents in disadvantaged communities and influence of community disadvantage on their behaviour. Methods: The study was conducted in the disadvantaged communities of Kerala, India. Sixty samples of adolescents of age group between 10 and 19 were collected from five communities, which were declared as slums or slum like areas by Municipal Corporation of Thrissur district in the State of Kerala, India. Both boys and girls were included in the study. In this study, simple random sampling was used for data collection. Interview schedule was used as method of data collection. Results: The study found that risky behaviour is more among boys than girls. Results also showed that risky behaviour is positively correlated with educational disadvantage. There is a need for prevention efforts involving family and community level interventions targeted to the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Deliberate and focused public policy is required, along with economic development, to fulfill and protect the rights of every child.