| Drug abuse especially among children and | | | | etc. These conditions put children in more |
| adolescents needs to be effectively checked as it | | | | vulnerable situation to start drug abuse. |
| has harmful health effects on their developing age. | | | | Protective Factors: |
| Several risk factors at individual, family, peer, and | | | | Protective factors play a crucial role to check the |
| school level can make the child vulnerable to | | | | risk factors that can lead to drug abuse among |
| abuse. The risk factors at any developmental | | | | children. |
| stage of children can be effectively changed or | | | | Self Control |
| intervened through various preventive factors. | | | | Protective factors should overweigh risk factors |
| While risk factors increases the possibility of | | | | to protect children from drug abuse. Protective |
| children abusing drugs, preventive factors help | | | | factor like self control enables children to control |
| reduce various risks that can lead to drug abuse. | | | | his/her aggressive behavior, temperament, tackle |
| Risk Factors: | | | | peer pressure etc. Developing self control skills in |
| Several risk factors that can influence the child to | | | | children can help them overcome desire to try |
| abuse drugs need to be checked as they can lead | | | | drugs, smoking, and negative attitudes. |
| to more risks. | | | | Parental Monitoring |
| Early Aggressive Behavior | | | | Parental monitoring ensures that the children's |
| Various risk factors that affect the children at | | | | activities and habits are monitored to check for |
| different stages of their lives can be effectively | | | | any drug abuse indications. It helps to develop a |
| controlled using preventive factors. Early | | | | strong bond between parents and children. |
| aggressive behavior during childhood is one such | | | | Children with parents, who keep a watch on their |
| risk factor that can lead to drug abusing. Children | | | | activities, will remain away from abusing drugs due |
| showing signs of aggressive behavior during early | | | | to fear that they might get caught or get |
| years of their childhood are more likely to abuse | | | | punishment. Parental monitoring makes sure that |
| drugs in later years. The aggressive behavior can | | | | children understand their limits and value of |
| be effectively tackled through family, school, or | | | | discipline. |
| community intervention. | | | | Academic Competence |
| Lack Of Parental Supervision | | | | Developing academic competence among children |
| Children who lack parental supervision and | | | | by providing academic support in reading and |
| attachment from family members, parents, and | | | | developing study habits will help children develop |
| friends can be at the risk of abusing drugs in later | | | | positive attributes, self-confidence etc. It will keep |
| life. Children whose activities are not properly | | | | them away from falling into company of bad |
| monitored by their parents are likely to succumb | | | | friends and develop negative traits and |
| to drug abuse. | | | | temperament. |
| Substance Abuse | | | | Anti Drug Use Policies |
| Children involved in early substance or drug abuse | | | | Effectively implementing anti-drug policies in |
| are likely to continue their habit in later years. | | | | schools can act as a deterrent and prevent |
| Some children during their very early years start | | | | children from abusing drugs. Anti-drug use policies |
| abusing substances such as tobacco, alcohol, | | | | will help bring awareness among children from all |
| marijuana, inhalants, and various prescription drugs. | | | | grades about harmful effects of drug abuse. |
| Continued use of substance during early childhood | | | | Strong Neighborhood Attachment |
| puts the children at risk of increased drug abuse in | | | | Strong neighborhood attachment ensures that |
| later life. Studies have shown that drug abuse | | | | neighborhood controls are upheld as discipline and |
| during late childhood and during early adolescence | | | | order is maintained by police, parents, and |
| result into strong drug addiction. | | | | community leaders. It breeds a feeling among |
| Drug Availability | | | | children that their parents, teachers, and police |
| Children are more vulnerable to drug abusing | | | | care for them. Strong neighborhood attachments |
| during the transition phase of their life. When | | | | strengthen the bond of children towards school, |
| children leave the protective circle of family and | | | | parents, and neighborhood, thus preventing them |
| enter elementary school and then to high school, | | | | from diverting to drug abuse. |
| children face new peer groups, challenges, and | | | | The risk factors for drug abuse pose serious |
| situations where they are exposed to easy | | | | challenges to children's emotional, social, and |
| availability of drugs. These challenges coupled with | | | | academic development. Greater the risks the |
| easy availability of drugs increases the risk of | | | | children are exposed to, the greater will be |
| drug abuse by children and adolescents. | | | | chances of drug abuse by them. Early intervention |
| Poverty | | | | by effectively implementing various prevention |
| Poverty is marked by illiteracy, greater high school | | | | programs can help reduce or reverse these risks |
| drop out rate, unstable family, negligence, less | | | | and lead to healthy development of child. |
| interpersonal relationships, unhealthy environment | | | | |