The athlete role model has emerged as the new pastor invested with the task of leading young people classed "at-risk" from entering into self-destructive pathways. The logic invested in the athlete role model is that young people identify with their sporting heroes and in the process try to emulate them. This holds for the major sporting…

This chapter provides an overview of current school-based youth suicide prevention efforts. Rather than review the wide variety of existing broad-based and focused school-based prevention programs, the chapter covers conceptually grounded exemplars for which there are some empirical data to illustrate recommended, available youth suicide…

Adolescent sexual activity and the resulting pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases have been on the rise during the past several decades. This chapter addresses each of the three objectives regarding sexual behavior outlined in the Healthy People 2000 initiative. Background data and trends in adolescent sexual behavior are…

This chapter reviews school-based drug abuse prevention curricula. Drawing on the most current research, the chapter identifies key elements of effective prevention curricula, noting that programs should (1) reflect proven prevention theory and research; (2) provide developmentally appropriate information about tobacco, alcohol and drugs; (3) use…