Prevention Science
In many schools, PTA’s plan the Red, Green and White Ribbon Week Activities. Many parents and volunteers are not prevention professionals and turn to pinterest or google for ideas. Good intentions are not good enough for selecting and implementing prevention strategies. Our children need more in today’s world.
The hope is that every school/PTA will use the knowledge of what works so we can protect students and use our time wisely in implementing the most effective campaigns.
Prevention science has come a long way in the ability to actually reduce substance use and negative behaviors. We’ve learned the hard way about what works and what doesn’t.
So, what does work?
Effective prevention strategies for youth should focus on activities that build social competence, self-regulation, and academic skills. Efforts should focus on developing self-control, emotional awareness, communication, relationships, social problem-solving and academic support among students.