Very young adolescents and substance use: Community and family vulnerabilities and healthy developmental transitions. (2013-2015)
Abstract
In Australia, alcohol and tobacco use commonly start during very early adolescence, and entrenchment of alcohol and tobacco use at young ages leads to major injury and disease burdens for Australia. This program of research will examine how families promote and impede alcohol and tobacco risks during puberty and transitions to high school, and it will examine how vulnerable communities and drinking cultures impact on parents' capacity to support their children through major developmental changes. Australia is in need of prevention programs that move beyond generic school education to address broader social risks and developmental vulnerabilities. This project will yield a framework for this next generation of prevention science.
