Protective Factors
Efforts to improve child and adolescent health have typically addressed specific health risk behaviors, such as tobacco use or violence. However, results from a growing number of studies suggest that greater health impact might be achieved by also enhancing protective factors that help children and adolescents avoid multiple behaviors that place them at risk for adverse health and educational outcomes.
Protective factors are individual or environmental characteristics, conditions, or behaviors that reduce the effects of stressful life events. These factors also increase an individual’s ability to avoid risks or hazards, and promote social and emotional competence to thrive in all aspects of life, now and in the future.
School Connectedness
School Connectedness
School connectedness—the belief held by students that adults and peers in the school care about
their learning as well as about them as individuals—is an important protective factor.
School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth [pdf 1.7M]
Strategies that teachers, administrators, other school staff, and parents can
implement to increase the extent to which students feel connected to school.
Parental Monitoring
Parental Monitoring
Describes steps parents can take to protect their teens from risky behaviors.
Monitoring Your Teen’s Activities: What Parents and Families Should Know [pdf 449K]
Parent Engagement
Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health [pdf 1.1M]
Describes strategies and actions schools can take to increase parent engagement in promoting positive health behaviors among students
Contact Us:
- Division of Adolescent and School Health
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
MS K29
Atlanta, GA 30341 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
Hours of Operation
8am-8pm
ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
