Risk and protection: Are both necessary to understand diverse behavioral outcomes in adolescence?

• Published in: Social work research Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 145 - 158
• Main Authors: Pollard, John A., Hawkins, J. David, Arthur, Michael W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.09.1999; National Association of Social Workers
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adolescence; Adolescent Development; Adolescents; Alcohols; Antisocial behavior; assets; At risk youth; Behavior Problems; Criminals; delinquency; Drug Use; Everyday Life; Grade point average; High Risk Students; High School Students; Home Environment; Influences; Juvenile Delinquency; Kansas; Longitudinal Studies; Maine; Middle School Students; Oregon; Predisposing factors; Prevention; Protection; Protective Behavior; protective factor; Relationship; Resilience; Resilience (Personality); Risk; Risk Assessment; risk factor; Risk management; School Environment; Social Environment; Social work; South Carolina; Substance abuse; USA; Violent crimes; Washington (State); Young people
• ISSN: 1070-5309; 1545-6838
• DOI: 10.1093/swr/23.3.145

Prevention science has suggested that preventive interventions should reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors. Recently, some researchers have proposed that preventive interventions focused on enhancing protective factors and promoting resilience will produce more positive outcomes than interventions that focus attention on risk factors. Others have argued that focus solely on the resilience of young people emphasizes individual characteristics and ignores important social and contextual risk factors. The present study explored relationships between self-reported exposure to a comprehensive set of risk and protective factors and outcomes, including substance use, school outcomes, and delinquency, in a five-state sample of sixth- through 12th-grade students. The results indicate that prevention policies and programs should focus on the reduction of risk and the promotion of protective influences if reduction in the substance use, crime, and violence among adolescents or the improvement in academic performance are intended outcomes.