Hi, the term risk averse is a description of the measures someone might go to to in order to avoid risk. How healthy that aversion is depends on the situation or maybe the resource. You could look at aversion, or being risk averse as evaluating the risks within a given situation and the subsequent actions that are involved with avoiding that risk, deciding to, or not to avoid it .. An example could be when you find yourself looking at different options or choices - what to do at the weekend maybe. Once you have options to choose between, which do you prefer? is this the one with the least or the most risks attached? Are those risks negative or positive? and what was it that made you select that particular choice over another?
Risk averse definition may help, as may separate definitions for
risk and
aversion.
Risk aversion, the lengths someone goes to in order to avoid risk differs in its extremes and risk averse can be times when an individual avoids a situation or resource wholly and/or repeatedly.
In practice you can see risk assessment, evaluation and aversion in action through .. a child who watches where their feet are at the edge of a pond, who continually shuffles, maybe kneels down adjusting their position to avoid slipping in, these actions avoid them becoming wet, feel they are complying with given boundaries of conduct, needing to swim or be rescued. It's a level of risk aversion that enables a child to be aware of the risk, assess it for themselves, enjoy taking part in an activity and still be in control & maintain their own safety. Whilst there is some healthy aversion to risk they were not in definition of the word '
risk averse as they still took part. In this example it would become unhealthy aversion if a fear of slipping in or the other risks caused the child to avoid the edge of the pool altogether with or without assistance from others..
The negative impact aversion can have is huge, by preventing a child from participating in activities, or, enabling self elected exclusion, the activities they would otherwise be interested in or already enjoy in other cuircumstances are lost to them eg. a child that likes being active on the climbing frame suddenly refuses, withdraws emotionally or physically when asked about taking part/having a go. This type of behaviour change provides an occassion for a practitioner to find out what has happened that might of prompted the change - if the child experienced or observed an event that caused them to fear being on the climbing frame - falling or being pushed. Saying no is a way the child can avoid being in that same position again or from being in the same position that they saw another in ie. they've weighed up the risks they know exist, decide they are too great, that harm might be involved, so avoid all inclusion/participation and for this one occassion become risk averse.
Other aversions could be a child not getting their hands dirty, wet or messy if a past experience or observation showed the result was an undesirable or disliked sensation. This can cause a dilema where the child likens mediums to each other - sawdust v rice, paint v gloop, foam v glue .. resulting in them avoiding all activity interactions. The sensational risks could be slippery, cold, wet, slimy, water resistant, dripping, smell, hand washing difficulty, wiping. For those with the vocabulary it could equate to them expressing disgust and revolsion. Far easier for the child to create a situation of risk aversion by saying no at the onset, setting the possibility or pattern for them to be risk averse.
Not wanting to join a friendship group where there has been resolved or unresolved conflict with one or more of the group is another risk aversion strategy that the child or an advisor figure might hope safeguards them against personal, social, emotional, physical harm, it results in them, unneccessarily? losing contact time with that group and delays getting their relationship back on a friendly, respected, even keel. Aversion may prevent children from ever being able to communciation feelings and emotions and overcoming conflict which builds resillience, confidence, reassurance, empathy & understanding.
Parents/carers/friends/family/professionals can all quite reasonably expect to feel or have an aversion to risk - specifically or in general as they don't want children to experience danger, come to harm or to be injured. Experiences, knowledge, understanding and maybe the expectation from others all impact on how someone views the world and the world they want for the child .. balancing those risks to prevent inappropriate/unhealthy aversion is about sharing concerns of risk, and information on the opportunities that are available within locations or in an activity, the challenges, new experiences and promoting child development, communication, supporting self assessment of risk and finding ways to overcome/solve the barriers that risk presents.
risk adverse on CAPT.org.uk
I hope this helps, best wishes for thursday xx
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Risk averse meaning
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