Risk and protective factorsRisk and protective factors

Research-based predictors of Research-based predictors of problem behaviors and problem behaviors and

positive youth outcomes—positive youth outcomes—risk and protective factorsrisk and protective factors

Risk and protective factorsRisk and protective factors

– Risk and protective factors exist in all areas Risk and protective factors exist in all areas of children’s lives.of children’s lives.

– The The moremore risk factors present, the risk factors present, the greatergreater the the chances of problem behavior.chances of problem behavior.

– Risk and protective factors can be present Risk and protective factors can be present throughout development.throughout development.

– Risk factors are buffered by protective factorsRisk factors are buffered by protective factors ..

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

Risk factors are predictive of higher levels:Risk factors are predictive of higher levels:

adolescent substance abuse, adolescent substance abuse,

delinquency, delinquency,

teen pregnancy, teen pregnancy,

school drop-outschool drop-out

violenceviolence

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

– Research-basedResearch-based– Predictive in multiple longitudinal studiesPredictive in multiple longitudinal studies– Present in all areas of influencePresent in all areas of influence– Predictive of multiple problem behaviorsPredictive of multiple problem behaviors– Present throughout developmentPresent throughout development– Work similarly across racial linesWork similarly across racial lines– MeasurableMeasurable– Buffered by protective factorsBuffered by protective factors

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

Research has identified Research has identified risk factorsrisk factors in in four domains:four domains:

Peer and Individual Peer and Individual

FamilyFamily

SchoolSchool

CommunityCommunity

Delinquency Risk Factors by Domain

Domain Early Onset (Ages 6–11) Late Onset (Ages 12–14) Protective Factors

Warm, supportive relationship with parents and other adultsParent’s positive evaluation of child’s peersParental monitoring

Poor parent-child relationshipLow socioeconomic statusHarsh, lax, or inconsistent parentingPoor monitoring, supervisionAntisocial parentsBroken homeAbusive parentsFamily conflict a

Low socioeconomic statusAntisocial parentsPoor parent-child relationshipHarsh, lax, or inconsistent parentingBroken homeSeparation from parentsAbusive parentsNeglect

Family

Intolerant attitude toward deviance High IQBeing femalePositive social orientationPerceived sanction for transgressions

RestlessnessDifficulty concentrating a

General offensesRisk takingAggression a

Being malePhysical violenceAntisocial attitudes, beliefsCrimes against personsLow IQSubstance abuse

Being maleADHD/impulsivityMedical, physical problemsAggressionLow IQGeneral offensesProblem (antisocial behavior) Substance abuseExposure to TV violenceAntisocial attitudes, beliefsDishonestya

Individual

Stable, organized neighborhood

Neighborhood crime, drugsNeighborhood disorganization

Community

Friends who engage in conventional behavior

Weak social tiesAntisocial, delinquent peersGang membership

Weak social tiesAntisocial peers

Peer group

Commitment to schoolRecognition for involvement in conventional activities

Poor attitude, performanceAcademic failure

Poor attitude, performance

School

Adapted from Office of the Surgeon General, 2001. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. a. Males only.

Delinquency Risk Factors by Domain

Domain Early Onset (Ages 6–11) Late Onset (Ages 12–14) Protective Factors

Early and persistent antisocial behavior

Constitutional factors

Rebelliousness

Friends who engage in the problem behavior

Favorable attitudes toward the problem behavior

Early initiation of the problem behavior

Gang involvement

Training of Coordinators 2-22

Risk factors: familyRisk factors: family

Family ContributionsFamily Contributions– insecure parent-child attachmentsinsecure parent-child attachments– family instability and stressfamily instability and stress– parental criminalityparental criminality– parental psychopathologyparental psychopathology

Family history of the problem behavior

Family management problems

Family conflict

Favorable parental attitudes and involvement in the problem behavior

Risk factors: communityRisk factors: community

Societal InfluencesSocietal Influences– more common in neighborhoods with criminal more common in neighborhoods with criminal

subcultures, frequent transitions, low social subcultures, frequent transitions, low social support among neighborssupport among neighbors

– established correlation between media established correlation between media violence and antisocial behaviorviolence and antisocial behavior

Cultural FactorsCultural Factors– associated with minority status, but this is associated with minority status, but this is

likely due to low SESlikely due to low SES

Media portrayals of violenceMedia portrayals of violence

Availability of drugsAvailability of drugs

Availability of firearmsAvailability of firearms

Community laws and norms favorable Community laws and norms favorable toward drug use, firearms and crimetoward drug use, firearms and crime

Transitions and mobilityTransitions and mobility

Low neighborhood attachment and Low neighborhood attachment and community disorganizationcommunity disorganization

Extreme economic deprivationExtreme economic deprivation

Academic failure beginning in late elementary school

Lack of commitment to school

Protective factorsProtective factors

Protective factorsProtective factorsbuffer young people’s exposure to risk.buffer young people’s exposure to risk.Research has identified Research has identified protective factorsprotective factors in in four domains:four domains:FamilyFamilySchoolSchoolPeer and Individual Peer and Individual CommunityCommunity

Protective factorsProtective factors

– Individual factorsIndividual factorsHigh intelligenceHigh intelligence

Resilient temperamentResilient temperament

Prosocial orientationProsocial orientation

– Competencies and skillsCompetencies and skills– Prosocial opportunitiesProsocial opportunities– Reinforcement for prosocial involvementReinforcement for prosocial involvement– BondingBonding– Healthy beliefs and clear standardsHealthy beliefs and clear standards

Protective factorsProtective factors

– Research-basedResearch-based– Present in all areas of influencePresent in all areas of influence– MeasurableMeasurable– Predictive of positive youth developmentPredictive of positive youth development– Present throughout developmentPresent throughout development– Buffer effects of risk exposureBuffer effects of risk exposure

TreatmentTreatment

Generally, few effective interventionsGenerally, few effective interventions

Interventions with some empirical support:Interventions with some empirical support:– Parent-Management Training (PMT)Parent-Management Training (PMT)– Cognitive problem solving skills training (PSST)Cognitive problem solving skills training (PSST)– Multisystemic treatment (MST)Multisystemic treatment (MST)

Mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of Mixed findings regarding the effectiveness of medications- may be useful to reduce overt behaviors, medications- may be useful to reduce overt behaviors, must be used in combination with other interventionsmust be used in combination with other interventions