McWhirter et al. (2013) define 'at risk' in terms of risk from:

• A. dangerous future events
• B. current negative influences
• C. peer pressure
• D. academic difficulty

Answer: (A)

McWhirter and colleagues define being at risk as the chance of experiencing dangerous outcomes in the future. The emphasis is on future harm that could occur unless protective factors or interventions are put in place, rather than just describing what a student is facing right now. This forward-looking view guides preventive counseling, focusing on mitigating potential future events rather than only addressing present conditions.

Current negative influences, peer pressure, or academic difficulty describe present circumstances or proximal challenges and, while they can contribute to risk, they aren’t the forward-looking definition of being at risk used in that framework. The concept centers on projecting possible future harm and intervening early to prevent it.