As revealed by its title, this booklet shows how schools can be made safe and welcoming places for children. Such schools are likely to foster children's learning and their motivation to continue learning throughout their lives. The booklet has been prepared for inclusion in the Educational Practices Series developed by the International Academy…

Public schools are under increased pressure to implement evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs. A number of model programs have been identified, but little research has examined the effectiveness of these programs when "brought to scale" or implemented district-wide. The current paper summarizes the application of the Adelman and…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to show that a syndrome of problem behaviours, i.e. early substance abuse, school and family problems and sexual promiscuity impairs normal development in adolescence. This comparative study looked for differences in the problem behaviour profiles of 15-year-old adolescents in the Pitkaranta district in Russia…

The Family Map is a semistructured interview developed to assess important aspects of the family and home environment associated with well-being in 3- to 5-year old children. The measure is designed so that it can be used during home visits with Head Start families. Accordingly, it was developed in collaboration with Head Start providers and…

This booklet explores various aspects of drug addiction, with a special focus on drugs' effects on the brain. A brief introduction presents information on the rampant use of drugs in society and elaborates the distinction between drug abuse and drug addiction. Next, a detailed analysis of the brain and its functions is given. Drugs target the more…

The Peer Helper Program was administered by Substance Prevention, Abuse Rehabilitation, and Knowledge (SPARK). Since its beginning in 1971, SPARK has addressed issues such as drug use, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and other forms of violence. The Peer Helper Program was designed to train students in the skills required to assist peers…

DARE is a preventive drug education program intended to combat drug use by students before it commences. The elementary school program is the core curriculum of DARE. It is designed to help those enrolled to develop skills that will allow them to resist the pressures to use substances such as illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Students are taught…

This guide presents and describes six effective teaching strategies for use with children affected by substance abuse before birth. This introduction provides information on the scope of the problem and the educational implications. It is noted that even without intervention when the child is still very young, teachers can improve the educational…

This essay with photographs describes the experiences of two runaways, examining why they left home and how they found help. Although runaways have a reputation for being irresponsible, they usually have good reasons for leaving home. The nun who ran Noah's Ark, where both the runaways featured found shelter and help, estimated that only about two…

An anonymous survey of health and sexual behavior statistics from adolescents in North Dakota is presented in this document. Seventeen thousand students from North Dakota schools in grades 9-12 participated in the survey. Survey questions were taken from the following categories: (1) safety; (2) suicide; (3) tobacco, alcohol and other drugs; (4)…

Intended to aid administrators, school principals, and other program coordinators, this guide was written to improve the effectiveness of family involvement strategies that are necessary for comprehensive school alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use prevention programs. Themes discussed are: (1) reasons for creating many forms of family…

A 1989 National Youth Sports Coaches Association survey of about 1,200 youth aged 10-14 indicated that young athletes identify somewhat with their drug-using athlete models. Forty-three percent of respondents felt that steroids are not harmful if properly used, and 45% felt that steroids were likely to increase their athletic performance. Steroids…

Law enforcement officials know the devastation that drinking can cause among the immature and the inexperienced. This guide is intended to be used by law enforcement agencies in cooperation with other segments of the community. It provides an overview of the problem of youth access to alcohol, a discussion of the legal and policy issues relating…

Although the facts about underage drinking are widely known, the issues that surround this problem vary from one community to the next. Such issues include where and how underage drinking shows itself, how it is viewed by the community, and what residents think is a reasonable way to address underage drinking in their community. This guide is…

There is a great deal of rhetoric concerning the prevention of violence and related problems faced by youth. A conference speech, this document advocates that rhetoric must be replaced by an examination of available data and experience with school-based prevention programs. This is especially important in light of a growing emphasis on "Safe…