Evaluating a Community-Based Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program for At-Risk Youth

Abstract

Changes in psychological functioning as a result of participation in Alternative Community Intervention (ACI), a community-based drug and alcohol prevention program for at-risk children, were investigated. Twenty-three children (ages 10-13) who participated in ACI completed the Achenbach Youth Self-Report (YSR) immediately before the program and again 6-12 months later. A series of t-tests to examine the differences between baseline scores and post-test scores revealed a trend towards significance (p = .059) for change on the self-destructiveness/identity problems scale. Analyses of variance to examine baseline factors that were associated with change from the beginning to the end of the program indicated that socioeconomic status and baseline grades were associated with significant change after the program. Specifically, medium socioeconomic status and fair grades were associated with the greatest improvement in delinquency and cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social problems.

Key Words:

• At-risk populations
• drug abuse
• alcohol abuse
• adolescents
• program evaluation
• community-based programs