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By reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors, the
likelihood that adolescents will participate in alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs can be reduced. There are 17 identified risk factors
for substance abuse. These risk factors fit into four categories,
or domains, that consist of community, family, school, and individual/peer
(see Figure 2).
In 2000, Whatcom County conducted a needs assessment to prioritize
risk factors for substance abuse. Based on key informant surveys,
archival indicator data, and discussions with youth service providers,
four risk factors were selected to be addressed. The following
four risk factors are the focus of prevention efforts coordinated
by Whatcom County Health Department:
- Family Management Problems
- Favorable Attitudes Toward the Problem Behavior
- Social Skills (protective)
- Bonding (protective)
Figure 2.
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COMMUNITY
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INDIVIDUAL / PEER
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Availability of Drugs
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Alienation and Rebelliousness
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Community Laws and Norms Favorable Toward Drug
Use
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Friends Who Engage in the Problem Behavior
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Transitions and Mobility
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Favorable Attitudes Toward the Problem Behavior
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Low Neighborhood Attachment and Community Disorganization
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Early Initiation of the Problem Behavior
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Extreme Economic Deprivation
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Constitutional Factors
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FAMILY
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SCHOOL
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Family History of the Problem Behavior
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Early and Persistent Antisocial Behavior
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Family Management Problems
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Academic Failure Beginning in Late Elementary
School
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| Family Conflict |
Lack of Commitment to School |
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Favorable Parental Attitudes and Involvement in
the Problem Behavior
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