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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Johnson was to provide a literature review on preventive intervention strategies for at-risk children.
METHODOLOGY:
This study focused primarily on the substance abuse of children and adolescents. It detailed many strategies for intervening to prevent these youth from continuing this self-destructive behavior.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The youth of today face greater risks from harsher, more synthetic drugs such as PCP, crack, ice, tar and crank. These drugs were linked to greater risks of violence, HIV/AIDS, and addictions. It was found that drug abuse did not vary much by social class, gender, ethnic and racial group, or geographic region. It was estimated that 7 million U.S. youth are vulnerable to high-risk behavior such as drug abuse. Much of the research on adolescent substance abuse stressed the need to understand the precursors of this abuse such as alcoholism or drug use by their parents. It was found that adolescents who engaged in high risk behavior with drugs and sex were more prone to health risks such as nutritional deficiency, sexually transmitted diseases, cardiovascular distress. Recent research disputed the earlier claim that youth use drugs because they are unaware of their consequences and have instead concluded that use of drugs usually is related to many other problems such as being physical, sexual or psychological abused, dropping out of school, being pregnant, being economically disadvantaged, experiencing mental health problems. Other research has stressed the need for prevention programs which address these multiple problems and which have strategies which address these issues on family, school and community levels. One large research project recently concluded that these risk factors or multiple problems related to substance abuse result in greater damage to poor youth and that this finding needs to be addressed on a social level not individual or personal levels.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors stressed that even though substance abuse in parents seems to be a strong indicator of abuse by their children, it is not possible or necessary to intervene in all of these families. The authors also suggested that methods and strategies for identifying the neediest children (those at the highest risk) are limited and therefore, are where research should concentrate. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Literature Review
KW - Prevention Recommendations
KW - Intervention Recommendations
KW - At Risk Child
KW - At Risk Juvenile
KW - At Risk Youth
KW - Juvenile Substance Use
KW - Child Substance Use
KW - Drug Use Causes
KW - Alcohol Use Causes
KW - Substance Use Prevention
KW - Substance Use Intervention
KW - Substance Abuse
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Violence Causes
KW - Sexual Disease
KW - AIDS-HIV
KW - Sexual Activity
KW - Substance Use Causes
KW - Substance Use Effects
KW - Drug Use Effects
KW - Alcohol Use Effects |