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Youth as Leaders in Prevention Suggested Readings

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These articles, guides, government documents and Web sites have proven useful in our "youth as leaders" collection of materials. The research isn't conclusive about the effectiveness of using youth in prevention efforts, but we do know that these efforts are at the very least a promising strategy. Many outstanding programs have not been well evaluated and therefore do not show up in the research literature. Therefore, this list is not comprehensive, but a helpful starting point in search of research-based information about youth-led prevention efforts. To find out more about receiving these materials, call your local public library or your Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Network center site. To determine which RADAR site serves you, search www.health.org/radar/pbsearch.htm by city, state or member type.

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  1. The Effects of School-Based Substance Abuse Education--A Meta-Analysis, Robert L. Bangert-Drowns. The Journal of Drug Education 1988 18 (3): 243-264.
    An advanced statistical method, called a meta-analysis, was used to summarize and integrate the findings of thirty-three evaluations of school-based alcohol and drug education programs. The goal was to identify the positive effects of substance-abuse education and describe the characteristics of programs that appear to change the knowledge, attitudes, or drug-using behavior of students. School-based substance abuse education appears to be most effective at increasing students' drug-related knowledge. Attitudes about drug use are more resistant to change and drug using behavior is least likely to be changed by drug education programs. There are several study features that were consistently related to positive program effects. The use of peers as the primary source of instruction was associated with the largest attitudinal effects. Attitude change was not as drastic when adults delivered the program, and this was especially true when the program was primarily delivered via lectures, as opposed to a more interactive mode of delivery such as group discussion. Peers may be viewed as more reliable sources of normative information on drug use. Furthermore, decreases in drug use were observed for students who volunteered to participate in a program but were not observed for students who were required to participate. Students who choose to participate in a drug education program may feel more personally involved and intrinsically motivated to complete the program. (Abstract furnished by the Tanglewood Research Prevention Knowledge Base)

  2. The Case for Peers, Bonnie Benard. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. 1990. ED 327 755.
    The strength of this article is its rationale for using peers as leaders. Benard believes that the concept of youth service must be infused throughout the school experience, starting with pre-school. This paper's definition of peer resources includes: youth service, cooperative learning, peer tutoring, cross-age tutoring, peer helping, peer mediation, peer leadership and youth involvement.

  3. Peer Helping/Involvement: An Efficacious Way to Meet the Challenge of Reducing Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use Among Youth? David R. Black, Nancy S. Tobler, and John P.Sciacca. Journal of School Health. 1998 68 (3): 87-93.
    The findings in this article are based on a 1997 meta-analysis by Tobler and Stratton whose "findings are in agreement with those presented in other review articles." The focus is on peer-led drug prevention programs for middle school youth. "The authors conclude that interactive peer interventions for middle school students are statistically superior to non-interactive didactic, lecture programs led by teachers or researchers." A detailed review of interactive versus non-interactive programs, leaders and delivery methods are discussed. This and a review of two effective peer-helping model programs, that follow the National Peer Helper Association programmatic standards, make this a useful, informative read.

  4. Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention: An Overview of the Literature, Barbara N. Logan. Family and Community Health. 1991 13 (4): 25-36.
    This article discusses three serious problems of ATOD prevention research and the resulting negative consequences of those problems. Logan also outlines several different models or intervention strategies, discusses school-based programs and their outcomes and the effects of peer-led programs. Family-focused and community-based programs are also addressed with a concluding discussion of "what works" and implications for health professionals.

  5. Meta-Analysis of 143 Adolescent Drug Prevention Programs: Quantitative Outcome Results of Program Participants Compared to a Control or Comparison Group, Nancy S. Tobler. Journal of Drug Issues. 1986 16 (4): 537-567.
    This is a "cornerstone" type of article that others frequently cite. This meta-analysis of the outcome results of identified programs is intended to help identify the most effective program modalities for reducing teenage drug use. In addition to looking at types of programs, five major modalities are identified and their effect sizes computed for five distinctly different outcomes: knowledge, attitudes, use, skills and behavior changes. Peer programs included: positive peer influence; peer teaching; peer counseling, helping and facilitating; or peer participation in addition to refusal skills and, in some cases, social and life skills. Overall, peer programs are the only types of program showing change toward reducing drug-use (abusing) behaviors and alternative programs are equally successful for special population groups.

  6. Drug Prevention Programs Can Work: Research Findings, Nancy S. Tobler. Journal of Addictive Diseases. 1992 11 (3): 1-28.
    This paper reports findings of a 91-item subset of programs from Tobler's 1986 meta-analysis of 143 adolescent drug prevention programs. The meta-analysis is briefly discussed but the focus is on issues rather than the actual research. Many types of programs are examined; one that is labeled "peer programs" as described in the previous abstract in item four. Special attention is given to the components of a peer program and the importance of leaders is discussed. Tobler found that "peers were more effective leaders than teachers." However, she also cautions that, "Peer leaders may or may not be able to facilitate the necessary interaction."

  7. Effectiveness of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis of the Research, Nancy S. Tobler and Howard H. Stratton. The Journal of Primary Prevention 1997 18 (1): 71-128.
    This study measured the effectiveness of 120 school-based drug prevention programs. Two major types of programs were identified: interactive and non-interactive. The interactive programs proved superior both clinically and statistically. Additionally, "...no statistically significant differences were observed for any of the leaders. Importantly, the interactive programs were not dependent on peer leaders for success. Most often, the peer leader was a co-partner with an adult leader. This does not negate the importance of using peer-leaders to set the stage, initiating dialogue and act in supportive roles."

  8. A Method in Search of a Theory: Peer Education and Health Promotion, G. Turner and J. Shepherd. Health Education Research: Theory and Practice. 1999 14 (2): 235-247.
    This article shows how peer education in health promotion is tied to theory. The authors review a set of commonly cited theories and review to what extent they have value or relevance to peer education in health promotion. The conclusion states that, "...while most theories have something to offer towards an explanation of why peer education might be effective, most theories are limited in scope and there is little empirical evidence in health promotion practice to support them. Peer education would seem to be a method in search of a theory rather than the application of theory to practice."

  9. Positive Youth Activities: Substance Abuse Resource Guide, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1998.
    This guide was created to help readers incorporate positive activities into their drug abuse prevention strategies. The guide also highlights prevention materials, identifies national organizations that focus on youth activities and provides additional resources for more information.

  10. A Review of Alternative Activities and Alternatives Programs in Youth-Oriented Prevention, CSAP Technical Report 13, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1996.
    This document serves as a basis from which the alternatives prevention strategy might be better understood and implemented. It draws attention to research examining the long-held belief that alternatives programs can provide youth with the skills and the desire to refrain from alcohol and drug use. Available online at www.drugs.indiana.edu/prevention/alternatives.html.

  11. Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn't, and What's Promising. 1997 Office of Justice Programs' Research Report, by University of Maryland, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
    To order a free copy call 800-851-3420, or e-mail askncjrs@ncjrs.org or access it online in a PDF format at http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles/171676.pdf.

    Consult this source for more information on what works in crime prevention. Research conclusions excerpted from page 3-21 and 3-24 are: "Careful examination of community-based mentoring evaluations supports a conclusion that they are a promising approach to preventing crime risk factors, notably drug use." In an evaluation of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, "the treatment group children those in mentoring relationships had a 45 percent less reported onset of drug abuse than the control group children, who had been put on the waiting list. They also had 27 percent less onset of alcohol use, and 32 percent less frequency of hitting someone. The program also reduced truancy: treatment group children skipped 52 percent fewer days of school and 37 percent fewer classes on days they were in school." Pages 5-46 through 5-48 conclude: "Peer mediation programs are not promising, although they have not been sufficiently evaluated. These programs are likely to be ineffective interventions when implemented as stand-along programs rather than as part of broader attempts to improve disciplinary practices. Peer counseling interventions for high-risk youth are contradicted, and studies using peer leaders to lead substance abuse prevention programs have produced mixed results." In addition... "school-based mentoring programs appear promising for reducing nonattendance but have not been studied with sufficient rigor to justify confident conclusions about their effectiveness for reducing delinquency or substance use."