Risk Factors

Individual

• Inadequate life skills
  
  
• Lack of self-control, assertiveness, and peer refusal skills
  
  
• Low self-esteem and self-confidence
  
  
• Emotional and psychological problems
  
  
• Favorable attitudes toward substance use
  
  
• Rejection of common held values and religion
  
  
• School failure
  
  
• Lack of school bonding
  
  
• Early antisocial behavior, such as lying, stealing, and aggression, particularly in boys, often combined with shyness or hyperactivity
  
  

Family

• Family conflict and domestic violence
  
  
• Family disorganization
  
  
• Lack of family cohesion
  
  
• Social isolation of family
  
  
• Heightened family stress
  
  
• Family attitudes favorable to drug use
  
  
• Ambiguous, lax, or inconsistent rules and sanctions regarding substance use
  
  
• Poor child supervision and discipline
  
  
• Unrealistic expectations for development
  
  

Peers

• Association with deliquent peers who use or value dangerous substances
  
  
• Association with peers who reject mainstream activities or pursuits
  
  
• Susceptibility to negative peer pressure
  
  
• Strong external locus of control
  
  

School

• Ambiguous, lax, or inconsistent rules and sanctions regarding drug use and student conduct
  
  
• Favorable staff and student attitudes toward substance use
  
  
• Harsh or arbitrary student management practices
  
  
• Availability of dangerous substances on school premises
  
  
• Lack of school bonding
  
  

Community

• Community disorganization
  
  
• Lack of community bonding
  
  
• Lack of cultural pride
  
  
• Lack of competence in majority culture
  
  
• Community attitudes favorable to drug use
  
  
• Ready availability of dangerous substances
  
  
• Inadequate youth services and opportunities for pro-social involvement
  
  
• Impoverishment
  
  
• Unemployment and underemployment
  
  
• Discrimination
  
  
• Pro-drug use message in the media
  
  

Prevention Overview | Risk and Protective Factors | Protective Factors