Research has identified risk factors which contribute toward problem youth behavior, including substance abuse, violence, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, and school drop out (Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992). The same research also identified protective factors which buffer exposure to these risks help youth develop healthier lives.

Effective prevention strategies include mobilizing communities, helping identify risk factors, developing strategies to address those factors, and simultaneously working to increase protective factors. 

Below is a table which identifies risk factors for youth problem behaviors (source: Communities that Care®).  Communities That Care® is a system developed by J. David Hawkins and Richard F. Catalano that empowers communities to use advances from prevention science to guide their prevention efforts.