The arts, as an alternatives approach to substance abuse, offer tremendous opportunities for building resiliency in youth. Listed below are a few of the many protective factors enhanced by involvement in the arts, as well as, the results of several research studies that support the benefits of positive youth development activities.

Protective Factors:

Caring Relationships—The arts provide opportunities for young people to develop supportive relationships with caring adults who can sometimes reduce risk and improve resiliency.
Cognitive Competence—Involvement in the arts requires that young people develop critical thinking skills such as analysis and problem solving, so they can communicate those ideas to others using poetry, dance or other creative arts.
Social Skills—Participation in theater companies and other creative groups requires that young people learn to cooperate and work together to accomplish mutual goals.
Goal Setting—Involvement in the arts rewards long-term planning, practice, diligence and thinking ahead—the skills needed by young people to resist peer pressure to use drugs.
Connection to the Community—Through performing and exhibiting their artwork, young people begin to experience pride as they see themselves making valuable contributions to youth culture and to their communities.

Supporting Research:

An examination of outcome data of 127 studies found that alternative activities rated second to improving family relationships in terms of effectiveness in drug- related outcome categories.  An analysis of 143 adolescent drug prevention programs notes that alternative strategies are effective when they are intensively implemented and aimed at targeted populations, specifically youth in high-risk environments, who may not have adequate adult supervision or may not participate in a variety of constructive activities.

A program designed to increase awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug use among African Americans, which incorporated a year-long arts program for youth, resulted in youth who were less likely to become involved in drug dealing than members of the control group.

The alternatives approach, which includes promoting creative or artistic endeavours, can make a positive difference in the lives of the children who participate in them. In addition, the alternatives approach sets forth a comprehensive prevention effort in the community that served to establish strong community norms against substance abuse.