NCJ Number
195818
Date Published
January 2002
Length
31 pages
Annotation
Part of the series “Points of Prevention,” this monograph highlights substance use in high-risk youths and related risk and protection factors, contributing to or preventing substance abuse.
Abstract
The second monograph in the series “Points of Prevention,” this report on substance abuse prevention among high-risk youths, discusses the National Cross-Site Evaluation of High-Risk Youth Programs’ findings concerning the web of influence affecting high-risk youths (HRY). Following a decision of substance abuse and overview of the major findings generated by the National Cross-Site Evaluation of High-Risk Youth Programs study, this report describes the characteristics of the youths sampled in the 5-year study. This report, from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, details external and internal risks contributing to youth substance abuse, external and internal youth protection against substance abuse, and the power of social norms concerning substance use and abuse. Arguing that the ways that youths process, interpret, and respond to their environments is significant, this report finds that schools, families, communities, and peer association all comprise the web of influence which leads some individuals to engage in substance use and abuse. Through a presentation of a series of charts and graphs, the authors of this document present correlations between internal risk and protection factors concerning substance use and abuse for HRYs. 15 Figures, 24 references