Risk and protective factors
Risk factors
Research strongly suggests that there are some factors which can help identify those who are particularly vulnerable to developing problematic drug use. These are called risk factors. There are also factors that are associated with reducing vulnerability to developing problematic drug use. These are called protective factors.
These factors do not necessarily lead to future problematic drug use, and where problematic use does occur, rigorous and careful research clearly shows that there is usually no simple causal chain. Neither can it be concluded that drug use is a causal or even contributory factor in the issues listed above. Rather, for many young people with problematic drug use, their drug use is just one factor associated with their disordered and problematic lives, not the root cause of their behaviour. For some, drug use may be a direct consequence, rather than a cause of other difficulties in a young person’s life.
In addition, risk factors are often inter-related and can be more significant in combination.
Source: Crown Copyright (2001: 36). Drugs and Alcohol: A Reader for Connexions Personal Advisers.
Protective factors
Those that work with young people and their families will be able to support their clients in the process of developing protective factors and reducing the incidence and impact of risk factors.
Cleaver et al. provides a range of age appropriate protective factors. Click here
The Need to Address Multiple Risk and Protective Factors
Many interventions try to address multiple risk factors and multiple protective factors at the same time. Risks can exist in multiple life domains. These include the family, the community, peer groups and school.
It is the individual who has the potential of developing problem drug use, and so the individual can be viewed as being at the centre of prevention efforts. However, the behaviour of individuals is affected by family, peer, school, community, and societal influences. Many interventions try to strengthen protective factors in multiple domains and to surround the individual with a "protective circle."
To help prevent a problem from developing, we need to identify the factors that increase the risk of that problem developing and then find ways to reduce the risk. At the same time, we must also identify those factors that buffer individuals from the risk factors present in their environments and then find ways to increase the protection.