Indigenous youth are at increased risk of initiating substance use at early ages and suffer greater negative consequences related to substance use as compared to non-Indigenous youth. The present study aimed to investigate risk and protective factors associated with substance use in one group of First Nation adolescents. Using a modified grounded theory approach, the present study conducted qualitative focus groups and individual interviews assessing categories of risk and protective factors based upon Behavioral Theories of Choice. Behavioral Theories of Choice suggests that substance use is contingent on the availability of substances and the availability of alternatives to substance use. Fifteen reserve-dwelling (75% female, M age = 15.2 years) First Nation adolescents identified peer influences, parental/family influences, and community influences and issues as risk and protective factors associated with substance use. Results highlight possible targets of culturally appropriate prevention strategies for Indigenous populations.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are at increased risk for experiencing sexual violence. Bystander intervention training programs are a first-line prevention recommendation for reducing sexual and dating violence on college campuses. Little is known regarding the extent to which SGM individuals are represented in the content of bystander intervention programs or are included in studies examining the effectiveness of bystander intervention programs. The present critical review aimed to fill this gap in knowledge. Twenty-eight empirical peer-reviewed evaluations of bystander intervention programs aimed at reducing dating violence or sexual assault on college campuses were examined. Three studies (10.7%) described including content representing SGM individuals in the program. Personal communication with study authors indicated that—although not mentioned in the publication—many programs describe rates of violence among SGM students. When describing the study sample, six studies (21.4%) indicated that transgender, nonbinary, or students classified as “other” were included in the research. Approximately two thirds of studies (67.9%) did not describe participants’ sexual orientation. No studies reported outcomes specifically among SGM individuals, and two (7.1%) mentioned a lack of SGM inclusion as a study limitation. Work is needed to better represent SGM individuals in the content of bystander intervention programs and ensure adequate representation of SGM individuals in studies examining the effectiveness of bystander intervention programs.

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Purpose: North American Indigenous (NAI) communities often cite substance misuse as problematic in their communities. The Competing Life Reinforcers (CLRs) model suggests that when reinforcers are valued, important, and incompatible with substance use, they will be associated with less substance misuse. Three categories of CLRs were identified in our formative work and include the following: cultural, social, and extracurricular activities. The aims of the current study were to test the associations among valuing and availability of CLRs and NAI adolescent alcohol and marijuana use. Methods: Adolescents living in rural First Nation reserve communities (N = 106, 50.0% female) reported their substance use and perceived availability and valuing of CLRs (e.g., smudging and after school activities). Findings: Greater value placed on cultural reinforcers was significantly associated with reduced likelihood of past 3-month drinking to get drunk (OR = 0.85, 95% CI[0.73, 0.98]). Greater value placed on social reinforcers was associated with lower likelihood of past 3-month drinking (OR = 0.94, 95% CI[0.89, 0.995]) and past-3 month drinking to get drunk (OR = 0.94, 95% CI[0.88, 0.99]). Greater valuing extracurricular activities were associated with lower likelihood of past month marijuana use (OR = 0.84, 95% CI[0.72, 098]), past 3-month drinking (OR = 0.77, 95% CI[0.64, 0.92]), and past 3-month drinking to get drunk (OR = 0.76, 95% CI[0.63, 0.92]). Conclusions: CLRs may be protective against NAI adolescent substance use and may be useful targets for prevention and treatment for NAI adolescent substance use. Public Policy Relevance StatementIt is of utmost importance to incorporate important cultural activities and to include trusted supportive people in interventions targeting NAI youth substance use. Prevention approaches for adolescents should make efforts to decrease access to substances and increase access to and importance/value of enjoyable substance-free cultural, social, and extracurricular alternatives. aaa A dolescent substance use is of significant public health concern, as earlier initiation of substance use is associated with higher rates of use, dependence, and a number of negative substance-related consequences later in life (Griffin & Botvin, 2010). This is of particular concern for North American Indigenous (NAI) adolescents (e.g., American Indians [AIs] and Alaska Natives [NAs] in the United States and First Nations people in Canada) who are at disproportionately increased risk for substance use disorders compared to non-Indigenous adolescents (Stanley & Swaim, 2015;Whitbeck et al., 2006;Whitbeck, Sittner Hartshorn, et al., 2014). Research indicates that NAI adolescents are more likely to have used cigarettes (Spillane, Treloar This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

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