Life skills. Part 3

Deloping life skills helps adolescents translate knowledge, attitudes and 

values into healthy behaviour, such as acquiring the ability to reduce special 

health risks and adopt healthy behaviour that improve their lives in general 

(such as planning ahead, career planning, decision-making, and forming positive 

relationships). The adolescents of today grow up surrounded by mixed messages 

about sex, drug use, alcohol and adolescent pregnancy. On one hand, parents and 

teachers warn of the dangers of early and promiscuous sex, adolescent pregnancy, 

STDs/HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcohol, and on the other hand, messages and

behaviour from entertainers and peer pressure contradict those messages. Often, 

they even promote the opposite behaviour. It is through life skills that teenagers can 

fight these challenges and protect themselves from teenage pregnancy, STDs,

HIV/AIDS, drug violence, sexual abuse, and many other health-related problems.

Hopefully, developing life skills among adolescents will empower girls to avoid 

pregnancy until they reach physical and emotional maturity, develop in both boys 

and girls responsible and safe sexual behaviour, sensitivity and equity in gender 

relations, prepare boys and young men to be responsible fathers and friends,

encourage adults, especially parents, to listen and respond to young people, help