DEVIANCE AND DEVIANTS - WHY ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION PROGRAMS DO NOT WORK

This article examines the social-historical lineages of adolescent alc ohol and other drug (AOD) use prevention programs. It shows how risk f actor research evolved from assumptions of deviance regarding the ment ally ill and examines pattern in prevention research that have inhibit ed advancement in the field. These patterns take shape as a general as sumption of the target population as deviant, over- or misinterpretati on of research results, and evidence that researchers and program mana gers or administrators shift or initiate programs with no causative ba sis. For the field to move ahead, researchers, program specialists, an d policymakers must reconsider these patterns in light of protective f actor and harm reduction approaches.