Study finds kindergarten behavior can predict later drug abuse - but early intevention can help
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A new study by Canadian social scientists finds boys who display anti-social behavior in kindergarten will likely abuse drugs later in life - unless they receive intensive intervention in their "tween" years.
The study began in 1984, in Montreal. Some kindergarten teachers selected boys in their class who came from low-income households and showed anti-social behavior for a longitudinal study by University of Montreal.
Of the 172 disruptive five-year-olds chosen, 46 were channeled into an intensive intervention program over two years, starting when they were 7.
The boys were given social-skills training to learn how to control emotions and build healthy friendships. They were also taught to use problem solving and communication instead of anti-social behaviors. Their families were involved in parts of the program, with parents learning skills to help their sons through difficulties.
Researchers studied two control groups: 42 boys got no intervention at all, and the remaining 84 received only a home visit. All the boys were followed until they were 17, with specific attention paid to their use of drugs or alcohol.
Results published recently in the British Journal of Psychiatry indicate that the boys