[The concept of risk resulting from the study of deviancy in the adolescent (author's transl)]

On the basis of epidemiological surveys on adolescents within the overall population (university or high-school students and young workers) or on samples of young people singled out for their pathological behavior (committing suicide, for example), the authors tried to find those factors which have a predicting value as to favor a possible evolution towards deviancy. They showed that, taking into account the sociopsychological and relational environment in which it occurs, the regular use of both alcohol and tobacco may be considered as an alert-sign.