smc-5511-10-Personal empowerment

HMS, HIC 2015 HSC 29a

How do perceptions of self-identity and self-worth affect the health of young people? (8 marks)

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Overview Statement

Self-identity and self-worth perceptions fundamentally influence young people’s health choices and wellbeing outcomes through their direct impact on mental health stability and health-protective behaviours.

Self-Identity and Health Behaviours

Young people’s self-identity formation determines their health-related decision-making patterns because identity shapes personal values and lifestyle choices.
This occurs when adolescents who identify as athletes prioritise physical fitness and nutrition to maintain their self-image.
Conversely, those experiencing identity confusion may engage in risky behaviours like substance use to fit perceived social expectations or rebel against authority figures.
The underlying reason is that self-identity provides the framework through which young people interpret health information and make behavioural choices.

Self-Worth and Mental Health

Low self-worth directly contributes to increased rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm among young people because negative self-perception creates ongoing feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness.
This results in social withdrawal, poor academic performance and reduced help-seeking behaviours when health problems arise.
However, positive self-worth enables resilience against peer pressure and supports healthy coping strategies during stressful periods.

Health Impact Integration

Therefore, both self-identity and self-worth work together to shape young people’s health outcomes because they influence daily decisions about exercise, nutrition and risk-taking behaviours.
This shows how psychological wellbeing connects directly to physical health through the choices young people make about their lifestyle and relationships.

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Overview Statement

Self-identity and self-worth perceptions fundamentally influence young people’s health choices and wellbeing outcomes through their direct impact on mental health stability and health-protective behaviours.

Self-Identity and Health Behaviours

Young people’s self-identity formation determines their health-related decision-making patterns because identity shapes personal values and lifestyle choices.
This occurs when adolescents who identify as athletes prioritise physical fitness and nutrition to maintain their self-image.
Conversely, those experiencing identity confusion may engage in risky behaviours like substance use to fit perceived social expectations or rebel against authority figures.
The underlying reason is that self-identity provides the framework through which young people interpret health information and make behavioural choices.

Self-Worth and Mental Health

Low self-worth directly contributes to increased rates of anxiety, depression and self-harm among young people because negative self-perception creates ongoing feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness.
This results in social withdrawal, poor academic performance and reduced help-seeking behaviours when health problems arise.
However, positive self-worth enables resilience against peer pressure and supports healthy coping strategies during stressful periods.

Health Impact Integration

Therefore, both self-identity and self-worth work together to shape young people’s health outcomes because they influence daily decisions about exercise, nutrition and risk-taking behaviours.
This shows how psychological wellbeing connects directly to physical health through the choices young people make about their lifestyle and relationships.

♦♦ Mean mark 51%.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 437

Describe how a combination of resilience and sense of purpose can protect young people from developing substance abuse problems. (4 marks)

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Resilience enables young people to cope with stress, disappointment, and peer pressure without turning to substances as escape mechanisms.
A strong sense of purpose provides motivation to maintain healthy behaviours because young people recognise how substance use could interfere with their goals and aspirations.
Resilient individuals develop healthy coping strategies that address underlying emotional needs without relying on harmful substances.
Sense of purpose creates long-term thinking patterns that help young people consider consequences of substance use on their future achievements and relationships.

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Resilience enables young people to cope with stress, disappointment, and peer pressure without turning to substances as escape mechanisms.
A strong sense of purpose provides motivation to maintain healthy behaviours because young people recognise how substance use could interfere with their goals and aspirations.
Resilient individuals develop healthy coping strategies that address underlying emotional needs without relying on harmful substances.
Sense of purpose creates long-term thinking patterns that help young people consider consequences of substance use on their future achievements and relationships.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 436

Outline how developing self-efficacy can help young people make healthier choices when faced with peer pressure to engage in risky behaviours. (3 marks)

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Self-efficacy builds confidence in personal decision-making abilities, enabling young people to trust their judgment over peer influence.
Strong self-efficacy helps young people believe they can successfully navigate social situations while maintaining their personal values and health goals.
Self-efficacious individuals are more likely to use problem-solving skills to find alternative solutions that satisfy social needs without compromising their wellbeing.

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Self-efficacy builds confidence in personal decision-making abilities, enabling young people to trust their judgment over peer influence.
Strong self-efficacy helps young people believe they can successfully navigate social situations while maintaining their personal values and health goals.
Self-efficacious individuals are more likely to use problem-solving skills to find alternative solutions that satisfy social needs without compromising their wellbeing.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 431 MC

Which of the following best demonstrates how a young person with strong self-efficacy and resilience would respond to peer pressure to engage in binge drinking at a party?

Avoid attending social events where alcohol might be present to eliminate temptation
Confidently decline alcohol offers while suggesting alternative activities to maintain social connections
Accept one drink to fit in but limit consumption to avoid negative consequences
Leave the party immediately without explanation when alcohol is offered

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\(B\)

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B is correct: Self-efficacy is demonstrated through confident decision-making and resilience by maintaining personal values despite peer pressure while showing problem-solving skills by suggesting alternatives.

Other Options:

A is incorrect: Avoidance doesn’t build resilience or demonstrate self-efficacy in challenging situations.
C is incorrect: Compromising personal values under pressure shows lack of self-efficacy and doesn’t demonstrate resilient behaviour.
D is incorrect: While avoiding harm, this response doesn’t demonstrate problem-solving skills or help maintain social connectedness.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 429

Body image concerns and disordered eating patterns significantly impact the physical and mental health of young Australians.

Analyse the protective factors that can prevent these issues and the skills and actions that young people can develop to promote positive body image and healthy eating behaviours. (8 marks)

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ANSWER STYLE #1: General Points to use within student-chosen answer structure

*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.

Overview Statement

Protective factors including support networks, health literacy, and critical thinking skills can shape and reinforce personal actions to help prevent body image issues.
These factors influence young people’s relationships with food and body image through multiple pathways.

Support Networks and Health Literacy

Strong family support in combination with accurate nutritional knowledge helps foster a strong protection against disordered eating.
This reveals that emotional support combined with factual information prevents harmful diet trends
In this way, relationships and knowledge work together to build realistic body perspectives.
This means that protection requires both emotional and educational components.

Critical Thinking and Personal Actions

Media literacy skills directly influence young people’s ability to set health-focused goals.
This works by teaching young people to spot fake images, which empowers them to reject unhealthy weight-loss goals.
Young people who critically analyse advertising tactics develop wellbeing goals that prioritise energy and fitness. This is a clear illustration of critical thinking transforming into positive health behaviours.
As a consequence, understanding media manipulation promotes sustainable lifestyle choices over quick fixes.

Implications and Synthesis

These protective factors form an integrated defence system against body image issues.
This analysis indicates that skills development must combine with supportive environments to be most effective.
Consequently, when schools and families are dealing with issues of body image and eating disorders, they must combine both education and emotional support.
The significance is that isolated interventions fail while comprehensive strategies can create lasting protection.

ANSWER STYLE #2: Highly structured (PEEL)

*PEEL – Solution is structured using an adjusted PEEL method; [P] Identify components and their relationship, [E] explain the interaction/influence between them, [Ev] provide evidence showing the relationship in action, [L] linking sentence back to question.

[P] Personal support networks and critical thinking skills combine to protect against body image issues.
[E] The relationship between family support and media literacy creates multiple defence layers against harmful messages.
[Ev] Young people with strong family connections who also possess media analysis skills are at much less risk of developing eating disorders.
[L] This interaction demonstrates how protective factors work together to prevent body image concerns.
[P] Health knowledge and assertiveness skills work together to help young people make informed food choices.
[E] Access to dietitian advice directly influences young people’s ability to resist harmful diet trends on social media.
Ev] Teens who consult qualified professionals develop confidence to challenge peer pressure about restrictive eating.
[L] These elements working together enable young people to maintain healthy eating behaviours despite external pressures.
[P] Individual resilience skills and community advocacy create a reinforcing cycle of positive body image.
[E] When confident individuals take action, they can change the attitudes of those around them.
[Ev] Students who promote body diversity at school feel better about themselves while helping classmates accept different body types.
[L] This relationship reveals how personal skills translate into broader protective environments.
[P] Goal-setting focused on wellbeing rather than weight operates on multiple levels of protection.
[E] Health-focused objectives promote action and influence psychological attitudes.
[Ev] For example, young people pursuing fitness goals experience improved mental health regardless of body shape changes.
[L] Together, these protective factors and skills and actions determine long-term resilience against disordered eating patterns.

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*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.

Overview Statement

Protective factors including support networks, health literacy, and critical thinking skills can shape and reinforce personal actions to help prevent body image issues.
These factors influence young people’s relationships with food and body image through multiple pathways.

Support Networks and Health Literacy

Strong family support in combination with accurate nutritional knowledge helps foster a strong protection against disordered eating.
This reveals that emotional support combined with factual information prevents harmful diet trends
In this way, relationships and knowledge work together to build realistic body perspectives.
This means that protection requires both emotional and educational components.

Critical Thinking and Personal Actions

Media literacy skills directly influence young people’s ability to set health-focused goals.
This works by teaching young people to spot fake images, which empowers them to reject unhealthy weight-loss goals.
Young people who critically analyse advertising tactics develop wellbeing goals that prioritise energy and fitness. This is a clear illustration of critical thinking transforming into positive health behaviours.
As a consequence, understanding media manipulation promotes sustainable lifestyle choices over quick fixes.

Implications and Synthesis

These protective factors form an integrated defence system against body image issues.
This analysis indicates that skills development must combine with supportive environments to be most effective.
Consequently, when schools and families are dealing with issues of body image and eating disorders, they must combine both education and emotional support.
The significance is that isolated interventions fail while comprehensive strategies can create lasting protection.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 430

Australian research indicates that gambling participation increases dramatically when young people reach the legal gambling age of 18, with many forms of gambling showing substantial increases as young people gain legal access.

Analyse how individual strengthening skills can protect young people from developing gambling problems and enhance their overall wellbeing as they transition into legal gambling accessibility. (8 marks)

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*Language to use that helps to highlight relationships and draw out implications is bolded.

Overview Statement

Individual strengthening skills including self-efficacy, health literacy, problem solving and resilience, interact with each other to protect young people from gambling problems.
These skills form protective relationships that influence decision-making as young people become old enough to legally gamble.

Self-efficacy and Health Literacy Relationship

Self-efficacy crosses over with health literacy by enabling young people to understand gambling risks.
When young people understand how gambling odds work against them and recognise addiction warning signs, they make informed choices to avoid gambling.
Evidence shows young adults with high self-efficacy combined with gambling awareness reduce participation by almost 50%.
This means that knowledge alone isn’t sufficient – confidence to act on that knowledge determines protective outcomes.
Therefore, these skills work together to resist peer pressure.

Problem-solving and Resilience Interaction

Problem-solving abilities depend on resilience when facing circumstances that trigger gambling urges.
Resilient young people use problem-solving to identify healthy alternatives like sport participation.
This relationship enables them to address real world pressures without any accompanying financial risk.
Consequently, this combination prevents gambling becoming a coping mechanism for adult pressures.

Implications and Synthesis

These skills function as an integrated protection system rather than isolated factors.
Evidence indicates that pre-adult skill development can result in lifelong gambling resistance and the critical importance of pre-emptive education programs.
By strengthening multiple skills simultaneously, individuals can create a strong protection against gambling.
Young people equipped with this skill system are much more likely to transition safely into legal gambling age.

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*Language to use that helps to highlight relationships and draw out implications is bolded.

Overview Statement

Individual strengthening skills including self-efficacy, health literacy, problem solving and resilience, interact with each other to protect young people from gambling problems.
These skills form protective relationships that influence decision-making as young people become old enough to legally gamble.

Self-efficacy and Health Literacy Relationship

Self-efficacy crosses over with health literacy by enabling young people to understand gambling risks.
When young people understand how gambling odds work against them and recognise addiction warning signs, they make informed choices to avoid gambling.
Evidence shows young adults with high self-efficacy combined with gambling awareness reduce participation by almost 50%.
This means that knowledge alone isn’t sufficient – confidence to act on that knowledge determines protective outcomes.
Therefore, these skills work together to resist peer pressure.

Problem-solving and Resilience Interaction

Problem-solving abilities depend on resilience when facing circumstances that trigger gambling urges.
Resilient young people use problem-solving to identify healthy alternatives like sport participation.
This relationship enables them to address real world pressures without any accompanying financial risk.
Consequently, this combination prevents gambling becoming a coping mechanism for adult pressures.

Implications and Synthesis

These skills function as an integrated protection system rather than isolated factors.
Evidence indicates that pre-adult skill development can result in lifelong gambling resistance and the critical importance of pre-emptive education programs.
By strengthening multiple skills simultaneously, individuals can create a strong protection against gambling.
Young people equipped with this skill system are much more likely to transition safely into legal gambling age.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 427

Describe the personal skills that enable young people to protect themselves from health risks. Use specific examples. (3 marks)

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Decision-making skills:

Young people can evaluate risks and make informed choices, such as deciding not to drink alcohol at parties or choosing nutritious foods over fast food options.

Communication skills:

Effective verbal and non-verbal communication enables young people to express boundaries in relationships, seek help from trusted adults when experiencing mental health concerns, or negotiate with peers.

Self-efficacy:

Having confidence in personal abilities allows young people to set and achieve health goals, such as maintaining regular exercise routines or resisting peer pressure to engage in risky behaviours.

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Decision-making skills:

Young people can evaluate risks and make informed choices, such as deciding not to drink alcohol at parties or choosing nutritious foods over fast food options.

Communication skills:

Effective verbal and non-verbal communication enables young people to express boundaries in relationships, seek help from trusted adults when experiencing mental health concerns, or negotiate with peers.

Self-efficacy:

Having confidence in personal abilities allows young people to set and achieve health goals, such as maintaining regular exercise routines or resisting peer pressure to engage in risky behaviours.