Major Protective Factors for drug taking behavior among adolescents:
1. An intact and positive home environment
- a) Mother and Father living together
- b) Close parental involvement and supervision in child's activities
- c) Strong parent
child attachment
- d) Parents' educational level at high school or greater
2. A positive educational experience
- a) High reading and math achievement
levels
- b) A close attachment to teachers
- c) Aspiration or expectation
to go to college
- d) Paren't aspiration or expectation to go to college
- e) Exposure to school based prevention education
3. Conventional peer relationships
- a) Socially conforming attitudes among child's peers
- b) Parents with positive evaluations
of child's peers
4. Positive attitudes and beliefs
- a)
High self esteem
- b) Involvement in religious activities and pro-social activities
- c) Closeness to an adult outside the family
Major Risk
Factors for drug taking behavior among adolescents:
1. At least a few close friends
tried or used marijuana
2. Was ever offered marijuana
3. Friends not
very upset if tried marijuana 1-2 times
4. Marijuana easy to get
5.
Friends not very upset if smoked marijuana once a month
6. Friends not very upset if smoked marijuana
1-2 times a week
7. Perception of not great risk for monthly marijuana use
8. Parents not very upset if smoked marijuana once a month
9. Was ever offered cocaine
10. Parents not very upset if tried marijuana 1-2 times
11. Friends not very upset if
smoked 1+ packs of cigarettes per day
12. At least a few close friends smoked 1+ packs of cigarettes
per day
13. Shoplifted in past year
14. Friends not very upset if
had 5+ drinks 1-2 times a week
15. At least a few close friends had 5+ drinks 1-2 times a week
16. Gang fight in past year
Excerpt from (5th edition) by Charles F. Levinthal
Dear Parents,
If you find that you see any of these risk factors in your child's
life, focus on the protective factors. Try to incorporate as many protective factors as you can into your life and theirs.
It's never too late to make changes. Notice risk factor #8... your reaction to your child's risk factors, specifically
any drug use will have a great bearing on whether they will be at risk to do it again. This is the time to fight for your
child's life. Make whatever sacrifices or changes you can to reduce the risk factors and increase the protective factors.
I am even saying that sometimes you have to move to a new town, scale down your lifestyle to give more supervision to your
child, and whatever else it takes. Spend time with them, get involved in something extra-curricular, take interest. Love them.
Believe me, it's worth it. I may not have all the answers. But I would love to support and encourage you. Please feel
free to post on my blog or send me a letter, if you have any questions at all. I will answer you and offer whatever help I
can.
Sincerely, Jimmy
