3 min read
Resilience Factors: Why Some Adolescents Resist Nicotine—and What We Can Learn From Them
Most adolescents don't use nicotine. Understanding why—the protective factors that build resilience—is as important as understanding why some do. Resilience factors include: parental monitoring, school connectedness, and alternative sources of meaning.
Adolescents who feel connected to school, who have parents who monitor their activities, and who have alternative sources of meaning and identity—sports, arts, community—are less likely to use nicotine. **Prevention research has focused on risk factors (what predicts nicotine use). It has neglected resilience factors (what protects against it). Building resilience—through family support, school engagement, and positive youth development—is more effective than warning about risks.**
