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Risk & Protective Factors: The Foundation for Effective Prevention
Risk factors are those things that increase the chance a child will become vulnerable to making risky or unhealthy decisions.
Risk factors include:
Protective factors, on the other hand, help lower to counteract risk factors, and increase the likelihood of a healthy life:
To prevent health and behavior problems, we look to lower risk factors. However, when that’s not possible, we leverage research-backed strategies to increase protective factors that help cancel out risk. It’s a balancing act!
The Preventionist’s Tool
At Compass Mark, we look specifically at the populations we serve in Lancaster, Lebanon, and Chester Counties to design addiction prevention programs that address risk factors and/or boost protective factors. Our team uses the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) as the foundation for our process. This statewide survey, conducted every two years, assesses youth in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 regarding their behavior, experiences, and attitudes around substance use, gambling, mental health, and more.
The survey also asks youth about the risks and strengths in their lives: factors such as parental attitudes toward drug use, depressive symptoms, handgun availability, and whether they feel connected to home, school and their neighborhood.
Review the full reports for 2019:
To chat with us about choosing an addiction prevention program for your school, youth group, or organization, contact our team at 717-299-2831.