Project C.A.R.E. substance abuse prevention program for high-risk youth: A longitudinal evaluation of program effectiveness

✍ Scribed by Michelle Hostetler; Kirk Fisher

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4392
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6629(199709)25:5<397::aid-jcop3>3.0.co;2-q

✦ Synopsis

This article describes and evaluates Project C.A.R.E., a substance abuse prevention program for three cohorts of at-risk fourth graders and their families. Project C.A.R.E. worked intensively with students and their families to increase resiliency factors and decrease risk factors through school, family, and extracurricular activities. The research design was experimental. Project objectives were to decrease substance use, negative behaviors, intent to use substances, school suspensions, and absences; and to increase alternative activities, family communication, academic grades, and consistency of family behavior control and rules.

A few positive program effects were found. At posttest, more control students' grades needed improvement, and more program students participated in community activities. Several variables showed differential change over time which favored the program group. Compared to control students, program students increased participation in alternative activities from pretest to posttest and did not increase their school suspensions as much. At the one year follow-up, control students were more willing to use substances