Citation

Cheon JW. J. Community Psychol. 2008; 36(6): 761-779.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jcop.20256

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Substance use among youth remains a major public health and safety concern. One fundamental way to address youth substance use prevention is to keep young people on a positive trajectory by engaging them in positive activities from early years of their childhood. In this article, the author offers a best practice analysis of systematic review about 12 selected community-based preventions, and proposes policy changes towards incorporating a strengths perspective. A substantive, methodological, and value-based critical analysis of the strongly effective preventions was conducted. A strengths-based positive youth development perspective is specified as one feasible needed improvement and subsequent policy changes in the school district as well as in the local, state, and federal levels are proposed along with the suggestion of a mandated community youth participation strategy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.