Analysis of Gender Differences in the Long-Term Follow-up of Young People at High Risk of Drug Abuse, Participants in a Program of Family Prevention

Introduction; The objective of this poster was  to provide significant data that improve the general knowledge of gender and age differences (sons and daughters from 7-13 years old), from the analysis of the results obtained fron the implementation of the Family Competence Programme (FCP), which is an Spanish adaptation of the Strengthening Families Programme (SFP) (6-11 years old) (Kumpfer and DeMarsh, 1985 Kumpfer, DeMarsh and Child, 1989).

Methods; The evaluation system was based on a multivariate experimental with pretest and posttest measures and with matched control group. Treatment consisted of longitudinal data taking third at two years of the end of each one of the applications of the PCF (29 from Social services and 11 from nationwide Proyecto Hombre or PH applications). For the analysis we used the factorization of Kumpfer’s assessments questionnaires 2004, 2006 and BASC (Reynolds and Kamphaus, 2004).

The sample of this study were 136 families with one child as a reference for analysis (53 daughters) from Social Services (92 families) and PH applications (44 families) of different implementations of the FCP made between 2009 and 2011.

Results; We examined whether there are significant differences between the sons and daughters from the differentiation of two age groups (7 to 12 years and over 12 years) from the three groups of factors identified: 1) Related to the set of family and parenting (family resistance, parent-child relationship, family cohesion, family organization, positive parenting and parenting skills, 2) related to family and children (family involvement, family cohesion, school control problems, social skills and ability to set limits) and 3) Factors based on the System Behavioral Assessment of Children and adolescents (BASC): aggression, hyperactivity, attention problems, behavioral problems, depression, anxiety, adaptability and social skills (parents) and negative attitude towards school, negative attitude to the teacher, school desadaptation, stress, anxiety, depression, sense of inadequacy, children self-esteem and confidence etc. The data analysis suggests that the program and maintenance of good results is more effective in boys than in girls.

Conclusions; Empirical evidence that the Family Competence Program doesn’t work the same for girls than for boys (considering the age) on preventing drug abuse and problematic behaviours in children.