Understanding Risk and Protective Factors – Things That Increase or Decrease the Risks of Teen Drug Use
Although there are no guarantees, teens who grow up exposed to a significant number of protective factors (such as having loving and effective parents, doing well in school etc.) are far less likely to use drugs than teens who grow up exposed to many risk factors (early aggression, having peers who use drugs or alcohol, having a parent with a substance abuse problem or mental illness and others). Fortunately, parents can do a lot to increase the protective factors while decreasing the risk factors!
Growing up, some of us are at greater risk to use drugs and alcohol than others. Scientists say that while growing up, we get exposed to things that reduce our odds of getting involved with drugs or alcohol (protective factors) or things that increase the likelihood that we will, as teens, use drug and alcohol (risk factors).
While there are no guarantees in life (and especially in parenting!) research shows that on average, teens who grow up exposed to greater numbers of risk factors are more likely to use drugs and alcohol and to use them at younger ages – and that teens exposed to greater numbers of protective factors are less likely to get involved with drugs and drinking.
Keeping naturally sensation seeking teens away from drug and alcohol experimentation is a tough job for a lot of parents, and in some cases, no matter what you do, your teen will still decide to use or abuse drugs or alcohol; but the good news here is that many of these risk and protective factors are quite controllable, and that you can do a lot to reduce the risks!
Risk Factors (Things That Increase the Odds of Teen Drug and Alcohol Use)
Some people grow up exposed to a slew of risk factors and yet never have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but on average, the greater the number of risk factors, the greater the odds of teen drug and/or alcohol use or abuse.
Risk Factors
- Growing up in a home where one parent abuses drugs or alcohol or one parent suffers from a mental illness
- Having a poor attachment bond with parents (parents do not display love or nurturing behaviors to children)
- Having ineffective parents (parents unable to effectively discipline, monitor behavior and or teach appropriate behavior)
- Performing poorly at school
- Hanging around with friends who use drugs or alcohol or otherwise display deviant behaviors
- Showing early aggression, or being excessively shy in the classroom
- Having poor social skills
- Growing up in a family or community that accepts drug or alcohol use as normal and accepted behavior
- Growing up in a community with easy drug or alcohol availability1
Protective Factors (Things That Reduce a Person’s Risk for Drug Abuse)
While parents may sometimes feel powerless to keep adolescent children safe, research shows that loving and effective parenting makes a great deal of difference.
Protective Factors
- Having parents that closely monitor the activities of their children and get involved in their lives
- Having a strong attachment bond with parents and other members of the family
- Having parents who maintain effective discipline in the home
- Success at school (ability in math, reading – also commitment to school performance and attachment to teachers at school)4
- Involvement in school or extracurricular associations
- Disapproving of drug use 3
- Having parents that expect their children to go to college and that think a college education is important
Many of these protective factors have been shown to also ’protect’ against risky sexual activities, teen pregnancy, violent behaviors, school drop out and other forms of delinquent acts.
Research Support for Protective Factors
Numerous studies have linked risk and protective factors to variable odds of drug and alcohol use and abuse.
In one study, researchers followed 1000 youths growing up in Rochester New York from grade 7 to grade 11 or 12. All youths were from disadvantaged homes and all were considered ‘high risk’ youths for future drug use.
The researchers measured (counted) protective and risk factors for each study subject and followed up over the years to test for drug use.
They found that:
- Among teens that had very minimal protective factors (between 0 and 3) only 32% remained drug free within a year from grade 8 and only 20% remained drug free after three years.
- Among teens who had substantial protective factors (6 or more) 86% remained drug free a year after initial testing in grade 8 and 56% remained drug free after 3 years.4
References
Editor’s picks
11 Reasons Why Teens Abuse Prescription Opiates – And How Parents Can Prevent It
From a study of thousands of adolescent opiate users we learn the 11 most common reasons why teens abuse pain pills. Ultimately it all comes down to easy availability and misperceptions about consequences and safety.
Social Norms Marketing for Alcohol Abuse Prevention
Heavy drinkers tend to think that other people drink more than they do (myth). If people with such misperceptions get accurate information about how much others in their community are drinking, they are more likely to reduce their overall consumption. Giving people who have incorrect beliefs about a negative behavior accurate information is called social norms marketing – and it is a cheap and effective way to reduce negative behaviors, like binge drinking, across a large population.
Parenting Styles that Prevent Drug and Alcohol Experimentation
Although as the parent of a teen you may wonder how much influence you have, research shows pretty clearly that what you do (or don’t do) has a huge impact on your teen’s health, happiness, and even choices. Learn which parenting styles reduce the odds of drug and alcohol abuse and which styles increase the risks – and learn how parental monitoring can keep your son or daughter safe from the worst of the dangers.
Parents - Prevent Drinking to Prevent Developmental Brain Damage
Adolescents are burdened with a still developing brain that’s uniquely at risk to alcohol overexposure - but that still developing brain is also very attracted to experimentation and thrill seeking, it isn’t as affected by the negatives of alcohol (teens don’t get as sleepy when drinking or as hung over after the fact) and it isn’t as capable of higher order decision making. All in all, it’s a bad combination and because of this, parental prevention efforts are very important. Parents who can prevent underage alcohol abuse can prevent developmental brain damage.
For Teens That Want to Quit Marijuana – 10 Situations That Lead to Relapse and 5 Ways to Overcome Cravings
If you prepare yourself for high-risk situations and learn strategies to prevent relapse you have a great chance of being able to quit on your own – learn how to succeed here.