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Substance Abuse Early Prevention Programs for Young Children with School Difficulties

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Abstract

High on everyone's list as both a contributor and a consequence of childhood substance abuse is “school failure.” There is much written about some types of disabilities in relation to either drug abuse or school failure—never both. This article focuses on three areas: substance abuse, school-related difficulties, and childhood disabilities. This effort (the first in a two part series) focuses on preadolescent childhood. We review and update previous findings to identify key issues related to individual, family, school, and community factors. We describe programmatic attempts to address these issues and relevant risk and protective factors. Some school-based (or preparation) programs show promise for near-term prevention. For many risk or protective factors, the earlier and more comprehensive the intervention the better. We conclude with recommendations for policy and practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hawaii, Manoa, Hawaii;

    Peter W. Dowrick & Robert A. Stodden

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

    Carl G. Leukefeld

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  1. Peter W. Dowrick
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Dowrick, P.W., Leukefeld, C.G. & Stodden, R.A. Substance Abuse Early Prevention Programs for Young Children with School Difficulties. The Journal of Primary Prevention 25, 309–328 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000048023.00528.8f

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000048023.00528.8f

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