Aaron Rosen Lecture: The Prevention of Problem Behaviors in Adolescents and Young Adults: New Perspectives on Theory and Practice

The design of prevention programs to address a wide range of problem behaviors (e.g., substance use, unintended pregnancies, HIV, tobacco use) in adolescents and young adults is addressed. After briefly characterizing selected influential theories that often guide program development for these populations, new approaches that draw on perspectives from decision science, communication science, and organizational/structural influences are described and adapted to practice settings, articulating a blue-print of key principles for program design and evaluation. Successful applications of the approaches are illustrated from a long-term research program that has addressed such behaviors as alcohol use, sexual risk behavior, tobacco use, contraceptive counseling, and mental health service engagement. Implications for the interplay between social work theory and practice are considered.