Which factor would you identify as a family-related risk?

Which factor would you identify as a family-related risk?

• A. Misperception of peer norms
• B. Loss of positive body image
• C. Loss of parents
• D. All of the above

Answer: (C)

Identifying risk factors by where they originate helps explain how influences shape behavior. Misperception of peer norms comes from the social environment outside the family and reflects peer influence, not family structure. Loss of positive body image is an internal, personal risk tied to self-perception and media messages, not an update to family dynamics. Loss of parents, however, directly disrupts the family system—reducing supervision, stability, and emotional and financial support. That family disruption creates conditions in which risk behaviors, such as substance use, are more likely to emerge. Because only the loss of parents is tied to family structure, it is the family-related risk. The option “All of the above” would be misleading since the other factors stem from peers and individual psychology, not family context.

Identifying risk factors by where they originate helps explain how influences shape behavior. Misperception of peer norms comes from the social environment outside the family and reflects peer influence, not family structure. Loss of positive body image is an internal, personal risk tied to self-perception and media messages, not an update to family dynamics. Loss of parents, however, directly disrupts the family system—reducing supervision, stability, and emotional and financial support. That family disruption creates conditions in which risk behaviors, such as substance use, are more likely to emerge. Because only the loss of parents is tied to family structure, it is the family-related risk. The option “All of the above” would be misleading since the other factors stem from peers and individual psychology, not family context.