4: Risk and Protective Factors
- Risk factors: Challenge an individual’s emotional, social and academic development
- Protective factors: Can lessen the impact of risk factors. Their impact varies along the developmental process.
- Common risk factors are found for multiple adolescent problem behaviors – e.g., substance use, teen pregnancy, delinquency, school drop out, violence
Evidence-based prevention interventions may target risk and protective factors in the individual, family, peer, school and community domains.
The Aim of Prevention Approaches is to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors.
Cite this article
NIDA. (2016, February 11). Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: What Science Says. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction-what-science-says