In 2002, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) began developing applied research initiatives to help professionals curtail juvenile firesetting. The project included a review of the research literature, a conference of researchers and professionals involved in preventing juvenile firesetting, and a final report, upon which this…

The "Safe School Initiative" was implemented through the Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center and the Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. The "Initiative" drew from the Secret Service's experience in studying and preventing assassination and other types of targeted violence and the Department of Education's…

GAO's review of Westat's evaluation reports and associated documentation leads to the conclusion that the evaluation provides credible evidence that the campaign was not effective in reducing youth drug use, either during the entire period of the campaign or during the period from 2002 to 2004 when the campaign was redirected and focused on…

Included in this document are selections of topic-specific articles on marijuana research reprinted from the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) research newsletter, NIDA Notes. The collection features articles originally published from 1995 through 2002. Topics include long-term cognitive impairments in heavy marijuana users, evidence that…

The sixth nationwide investigation of public playgrounds by the Consumer Federation ofAmerica (CFA) and the State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) found that amajority of U.S. playgrounds pose hidden threats to youngsters. From March-May 2002, the State PIRGs and other CFA member organizations investigated 1,037 playgrounds in 36 states…

Research on child and adolescent conduct problems has proliferated over the past 15 years, resulting in an extensive array of risk factors, processes, and targets for intervention. To capitalize fully on this extensive research base and contribute effectively to public mental health, the field now needs to take stock of what is known about child…

Coalitions have been used successfully in the United States to tackle a number of seemingly intractable problems. For communities that want to reduce their underage drinking problem, putting together a broad-based coalition can bring substantial dividends. In this guide, readers will learn the steps that bring together a diverse group of people in…

Alcohol on college campuses is not a new problem, but recent concerns have centered on heavy episodic drinking, binge drinking. To address these concerns, the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism established two panels of nongovernmental experts to help develop a national research agenda. This report represents the work of one…

Many people who have troubling emotional, psychiatric, or physical symptoms have made great advances in learning how to do things to help themselves get well and stay well. The action plans for prevention and recovery described in this booklet were devised by people who experience emotional or psychiatric symptoms. They developed ways to deal with…

Bullying is a serious matter involving a substantial number of students. Most bullying occurrences are undetected or ignored, leading to detrimental physical and psychological effects for victims, as well as school climate. Teachers intervene in only 4 percent of all incidents. Well-conducted, comprehensive bullying prevention programs can be…

This bimonthly newsletter provides information about the progress of the Honor States Grant Program, a governor-led effort to improve college- and work-ready graduation rates. This issue explores strategies for dropout prevention and recovery. Progress of three states is highlighted. Suggested resources for policymakers are provided. Contents…

This document addresses the twin issues of youth violence and school safety. Violence from the larger society has spilled over into schools in ways that can make them unsafe, and school safety has emerged as a pressing concern of public schools. Violence within the context of schooling is expressed in extreme forms of reactive and proactive…

Publications, which can be anything from a one-page flier to a brochure to a poster or a book, can be relatively easy to create but very effective for helping to fight crime. This bulletin considers how publications can contribute to crime prevention; what it takes to start a publication; what are some of the challenges in creating a publication;…

In December 1997 the Center for Women Policy Studies convened a Summit on Girls and Violence in Washington, D.C. The Summit brought together researchers, advocates, educators, funders, and policymakers to strategize about how to shape further research, bring attention to the issues, and muster the national will to end violence affecting girls and…

This paper suggests that in order to facilitate the management of substance abuse problems, schools of nursing should adopt written, comprehensive, and equitable substance abuse policies for students, faculty, and staff. Such policies should be based on the assumption that substance abuse is an illness that can be treated successfully and the…