Introduces special issue that collectively presents a substance abuse prevention approach that is part of a program called Prevention Engineering. The model emphasizes the measurement of indicators of substance abuse problems, particularly with marijuana use. Articles include topics on epidemiology; evidence of the harmful and helpful uses of…

Examined social factors associated with changes in two forms of adolescent deviance, substance use and delinquency using a model that combines social control and differential association perspectives. Results for approximately 2,000 high school students support the model and show that strong bonds to family, school, and community protect…

Examines the understandings, definitions, and experiences of forgiveness held by members of the clergy who reported conflict with the religious superiors who mandated their entry into residential psychiatric treatment because of substance abuse/dependence, sexual misconduct, compulsive behavior disorder, or affective disorders. Compares the data…

Investigated whether school violence among high school students related to substance use and availability of illegal drugs at school, examining the associations of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana and availability of illegal drugs with five school violence indicators. Data from the 1995 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that school violence…

A parallel may be drawn between pressure to perform in sports and pressures on schools to perform. Schools, like athletes, are often tempted to use artificial performance-enhancing substances. Application of such measures (prescribed standards, devolution, and fads) leads to undesirable consequences. Alternatives are suggested. (Contains 26…

This special issue presents results of a multisite, multiyear national demonstration project designed to test the effectiveness of integrating street outreach programs aimed at preventing HIV infection with referral to substance abuse treatment for populations that historically have been difficult to reach (Author/SLD)

Provides an overview of substance-abuse prevention strategies targeting children and adolescents in the United States. Discusses the effectiveness of several major prevention approaches and programs and their implications for service providers. (Author)

Investigated whether 10 secondary health education state curriculum frameworks included common mediators for preventing adolescent substance use. Beliefs about consequences, decision making skills, and stress management skills were most frequently identified. Commitment, lifestyle incongruence, and normative beliefs were least frequently…

Applied the capture-recapture model, through a Poisson regression to a time series of data for admissions to treatment from 1987 to 1996 to estimate the number of heroin addicts in Texas who are "at-risk" for treatment. The entire data set produced estimates that were lower and more plausible than those produced by drawing samples,…

Examines the reliability and validity of the Youth Support Inventory, a tool designed for community coalitions to assess the availability of local resources and supports that previous research indicates are important for preventing adolescent alcohol and other drug use. (BF)

This article focuses on family social networks and the community of caregivers of neglected children. If neglect is part of family functioning, who watches over the children? Using a case study approach, this study researched 12 children and their parents. Several concepts, such as multiple caregiving and kin keepers, revealed that study children…

To expand understanding of how to improve efficacy as well as enhance the implementation of effective aftercare programs, there is a need to study the following issues: how to operationalize aftercare as usual, how to improve retention and engagement in aftercare, and how to determine or match the optimal duration, dosage, and specificity of…

Anger and related emotions have been identified as triggers in substance use. Forgiveness therapy (FT) targets anger, anxiety, and depression as foci of treatment. Fourteen patients with substance dependence from a local residential treatment facility were randomly assigned to and completed either 12 approximately twice-weekly sessions of…

This meta-analysis examined outcomes of smoking cessation interventions evaluated in 19 randomized controlled trials with individuals in current addictions treatment or recovery. Smoking and substance use outcomes at posttreatment and long-term follow-up (? 6 months) were summarized with random effects models. Intervention effects for smoking…

Many speech-language pathologists are serving delinquent boys with language-learning disorders who are both current and former residents of correctional institutions. These youngsters demonstrate personal maladjustments that have a negative impact on school performance and socialization. Those boys within chaotic families are at risk of poverty,…