Preventing Youth Problems provides information needed to prevent five of the most common, costly, and dangerous problems of adolescence: anti-social behavior, tobacco use, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual behavior that risks disease and unwanted pregnancy. Over the past thirty years, scientific research on children and adolescents identified the major conditions influencing each of these problems.
Each of the chapters in this volume provides a concise summary of what is known about one of these five problem behaviors. Each chapter covers the following essential points:

- Incidence, prevalence, and cost of the problem, vital for gauging the importance of preventing the problem and for making the case for such efforts in public discussion of priorities;
- Biological and environmental influences which increase or decrease the likelihood of these problems; and,
- Principles, programs and policies that have been shown to reduce the incidence of each problem, information that can help in prevention of these behaviors.

This book provides information needed to prevent five of the most common, costly, and dangerous problems of adolescence: anti-social behavior, tobacco use, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual behavior that risks disease and unwanted pregnancy. It is an important resource for psychologists, sociologists, social workers, and educators, as well as for upper-level students in these areas.

Clinicians and researchers have long recognized that adolescent delinquency, substance use, smoking, and risky sexual behavior tend to co-occur. Until now, however, the field has lacked a thoughtful examination of why this pattern exists and the implications for research, policy, and practice. Filling a crucial gap, this volume provides a comprehensive analysis of current knowledge on the multiproblem phenomenon. Leading interdisciplinary experts draw on clinical and public health perspectives to shed new light on the causes and consequences of adolescent behavior problems/m-/and to examine "what works" in prevention and treatment. Mapping out important future directions for the field, this is a state-of-the-science sourcebook and text for anyone working with or studying adolescents at risk. The volume first reviews the epidemiology of serious youth problems and documents their costs to individuals, families, and communities. A lifespan developmental perspective is brought to bear on understanding risk and protective factors for problem behavior, with consideration of biological, family, school, peer, and community influences.; Building on these foundations, subsequent chapters pres