Risk factors are those indicators that may increase the probability of a child engaging in ATOD use. Protective factors are those indicators that have a positive influence on a child's self-esteem and development and decrease the probability of ATOD use.
Research into risk and protective factors in families, schools, and communities has formed the basis of current ATOD prevention efforts. These factors organize knowledge about the various positive and negative influences on ATOD use into systematic categories. Practitioners often use these factors as checklists to identify key issues for children and to direct prevention responses.
Although many researchers and practitioners still find risk and protective factors to be valuable frameworks, recent research suggests that these models may limit the understanding of what young people really need to succeed in life. Furthermore, the use of risk and protective categories may encourage piecemeal efforts focusing on "fixing" just one or two (usually negative) factors, rather than tending to the holistic intersection of many risks, strengths, resiliencies, and competencies for each child. In response to these concerns, youth development models have emerged.