Boys & Girls Clubs and school collaborations: A longitudinal study of a multicomponent substance abuse prevention program for high-risk elementary school children

This study tested the effective ess of a multicomponent after-school substa nce abuse prevention program for high-risk second- and third-grade children implemented collaboratively by Boys & Girls Clubs and their local schools. The 2-year program was designed to reduce risk factors predictive of later substance abuse, and to enhance protective factors shown to buffer risks. Results showed positive effects on program children's personal competency s kill including (1) refusing wrongdoing; (2) solving peer and school problem s; and (4) behaving ethically. For the most part, the program also had posi tive effects on children's feeling towards school and grades in spelling. R esults suggest that youth-serving organizations and school can collaborativ ely implement multicomponent interventions that provide protective factors that may buffer high-risk elementary school children from the multiple risk s in their lives future drug abuse. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.