Risk factors are those factors that make people more likely to use drugs. Protective factors are those that help people resist using drugs. The more risk factors a child or youth experiences, the more likely that substance abuse will occur. However, there is not a causal relationship here. Substance use and other problem behaviors are not an inevitable result of a significant number of risk factors.
Many children growing up in presumably high risk environments emerge relatively free of problems.
The reason for this resiliency, researchers have found, often is the effect of protective or buffer factors in the child s life. There are many data sources for you to consider as you collect information about alcohol and drug use in your community. Quantitative studies produce data for statistical analysis from reports and surveys that put a number on the problem. Surveys of drug use, arrest reports, emergency room admissions, and traffic reports are typical of quantitative studies. These data are called indicators or measures.