Social capital and risky Behavior: Case study of High School Students of Kerman

This study aimed to study the risky behavior and its relationship with social capital amongst the high school students of Kerman city. Social capital theories of Colman and Putnam were selected as the theoretical framework. The abstracted variables of research model are social capital (network ties of respondent with teachers, family and friends. network ties of respondents’ family with school), economic capital (family income) and human capital (parents’ education). Dependent variables were six risky behaviors, which are violence, suicide and thinking to it, smoking, drinking, sexual relationship and opium use. Finding based on a sample of 565 cases, affirmed the theoretical framework meanwhile discovering the critical role of social capital indicators in risky behavior reduction. While the role of human and economic capital in risky behavior was fragile, social capital indicators had more powerful effect and played a deterrent role.