Social Alienation and Tendency Toward Risky Behavior: A Case Study of the City of Mashhad

Regarding the increase in the incidence of risky behavior among young people, the present study has investigated the impact of social alienation as a risk factor in the tendency toward risky behavior in the City of Mashhad. In this research, Agnew’s General Strain Theory, Sutherland’s theory of Differential Association, Hirschi and Gottfredson’s Social Control Theory, and Seeman’s Social Alienation Theory were used as the theoretical framework. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional survey. A total sample size of 384 individuals from Mashhad were interviewed in the present analysis. Respondents were selected using the cluster random sampling method. The instrument used was a questionnaire. In this regard, reliability and validity of the scale were assessed through Cronbach’s alpha and content validity. The findings showed that risky behavior among boys was higher than girls, but there was no significant difference between social alienation of boys and girls. There was no significant relationship between age and risky behavior and social alienation. The mean of risky behavior among single participants in terms of tendency to alcohol, tendency towards violence, tendency to sexual behavior and risk-driving tendency was higher than that of married participants, and the average amount of social alienation in dimensions of social isolation and self-denial of single participants was higher than that of the married participants. The results showed that social alienation and its dimensions have a direct and significant effect on risky behavior and its dimensions.