Josipa Bašić

Community mobilization and readiness: planning flaws which challenge effective implementation of 'Communities that Care' (CTC) prevention system

This article reviews the experience of implementing a community approach to drug use and youth delinquency prevention based on the ‘Communities that Care’ (CTC) system implemented in one Croatian county consisting of 12 communities, 2002 to 2013 (Hawkins, 1999; Hawkins & Catalano, 2004). This overview explores selected critical issues which are often not considered in substance use(r) community intervention planning, implementation as well as in associated process and outcome assessments. These issues include, among others, the mobilization process of adequate representation of people; the involvement of relevant key individual and organizational stakeholders and being aware of the stakeholders’ willingness to participate in the prevention process. In addition, it is important to be aware of the stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions about the ‘problems’ of drug use and youth delinquency in their communities as well as the characteristics of the targeted population(s). Sometimes there are community members and stakeholders who block needed change and therefore prevention process enablers and ‘bridges’ should be involved in moving prevention programming forward. Another barrier that is often overlooked in prevention planning is community readiness to change and a realistic assessment of available and accessible resources for initiating the planned change(s) and sustaining them. All of these issues have been found to be potentially related to intervention success. At the end of this article, I summarize perspectives from prevention scientists and practitioners and lessons learned from communities’ readiness research and practice in Croatian that has international relevance.

“Prevention science and disability studies”: A postgraduate doctoral study overview

Doctoral study Prevention Science module—Mental and Behavioral Disorders Prevention and Mental Health Promotion is based on the modern interdisciplinary scientific understanding of health promotion, prevention of mental and behavioral disorders, crime, addiction, violence and other risk behaviors in children and young people. It will result in qualified scientists who will research, develop and implement specific strategies of promotion and prevention. The study program has been designed for training scientists to take a leading role in improving and integrating prevention science knowledge into theoretical research and professional practice (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Education and rehabilitation sciences, 2009).

Risk analysis in the period of growing-up of children and youth: starting point for effective prevention

AimsThis paper elaborates on the determinants of society “at risk”, children and youth at risk and risk behaviours of children and youth.Subjects and methodsA review of an existing literature and conducted studies on children and youth at risk and risk behaviours of children and youth has been carried out. Using the results of a number of studies in Croatia and abroad, particularly those of longitudinal character, this paper presents a review of the problems of those children and youth that are deemed to be at risk of developing risk behaviours. The term “young people at risk” represents people who exhibit behaviours, points of view or faults that are considered indicative of subsequent behavioural problems.ResultsWhen analyzing the results of epidemiological and other studies in both Croatia and abroad, epidemiological studies on internalized and externalized disorders of children and youth are becoming more frequent and continuous. Among internalized issues, anxiety, depressive disorders, suicides and wider mental health problems of children and youth are analysed and highlighted more and more often. Among externalised disorders, violent behaviour, criminal activity, juvenile offences, alcohol consumption, drug abuse and risky sexual behaviours are a part of the epidemiological studies presented in a paper.ConclusionTo implement effective prevention strategies, it is crucial to understand and epidemiologically follow risks to which children and youth are exposed to and to provide appropriate interventions according to the level of risk faced by each individual.