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Objective: To examine whether students' school engagement, relationships with teachers, educational aspirations and involvement in fights at school are associated with various measures of subsequent substance use. Methods: Data were drawn from the Belfast Youth Development Study (n = 2968). Multivariate logistic models examined associations between school-related factors (age 13/14) and substance use (age 15/16). Results: The two factors which were consistently and independently associated with regular substance use among both males and females were student-teacher relationships and fighting at school: positive teacher-relationships reduced the risk of daily smoking by 48%, weekly drunkenness by 25%, and weekly cannabis use by 52%; being in a fight increased the risk of daily smoking by 54%, weekly drunkenness by 31%, and weekly cannabis use by 43%. School disengagement increased the likelihood of smoking and cannabis use among females only. Conclusion: Further research should focus on public health interventions promoting positive relationships and safety at school. (Contains 4 tables.)

Aims: Substance use and misuse amongst young people attending colleges of further education (FE) has received little attention in the drug use literature in the UK. This article aims to explore the patterns of drug use amongst young people attending colleges of further education in Northern Ireland. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of drug use was undertaken in two FE colleges in Northern Ireland. A sample of young people of the same age who were attending school also completed the questionnaire. This provided a school-based comparison group for the FE sample. Findings: The levels of educational achievement measured by performance at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations prior to entry to FE college was the strongest predictor of substance misuse amongst the FE sample young people who performed better in these examinations were less likely to misuse drugs. Conclusions: School-based educational achievement prior to attending college is a key predictor of drug misuse amongst young people attending FE colleges. (Contains 5 tables.)

Young people living in the state care system are often reported to experience poorer levels of mental health and wellbeing. Government policy encourages a holistic approach to the assessment of all aspects of health and wellbeing of these young people. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a mental health screener for young people aged four to 16 years, was administered to a number of young people living in state care and a sample not living in state care as part of the Youth Development Study being undertaken at Queens University Belfast. The findings from the study showed that a higher proportion of young people living in state care reported scores on the SDQ that indicated a higher propensity to problem behaviour at both stages of the survey when aged 11/12 years and 14/15 years. The findings show that the SDQ is a tool that may assist professionals to make an informed decision on the health and wellbeing of young people entering the care system and possibly can lead to an empirically assisted decision on intervention planning. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

Young people's participation in sexual risk behaviours is commonly linked with participation in a range of other risky behaviours, and in particular with substance use behaviours. This cross-sectional analysis of the sixth sweep of the Belfast Youth Development Study aimed to examine associations between substance use and sexual activity and related risks among 17-19-year olds in Northern Ireland. Being sexual activity and participating in sexual risk behaviours was associated with the use of a range of licit and illicit substances particularly alcohol and ecstasy. Additionally, females were more likely to have been tested for a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The findings add to the existing research body suggesting that substance misuse and sexual risk behaviours tend to co-occur in adolescence and highlight a need to develop appropriate interventions and initiatives for school aged young people. (Contains 4 tables.)

Aims: The aim of this article was to investigate the factors associated with ecstasy use in school-aged teenagers. Methods: This was a longitudinal study of adolescent drug use, which was undertaken in three towns in Northern Ireland. A questionnaire was administered annually to participants. In this article ecstasy use patterns amongst a cohort of young people aged 14-16 years participating in the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS) was explored. Findings: The percentage of those who had used ecstasy at least once increased from 7% when aged 14 years to 9% at 15 and 13% at 16 years. Female gender, delinquency, problem behaviours at school and the number of evenings spent out with friends each week were found to be significant variables predicting "ever use" of ecstasy in all 3 years by logistic regression. Conclusions: The findings suggest that ecstasy use patterns may be changing from their historical perception as a "party" drug, as the demographic profile ecstasy of users in this study reflected the traditional profile of illicit drug use during adolescence, which raises challenges for addressing the problems associated with this drug. (Contains 6 tables.)

The twentieth century began with children having virtually no universally accepted rights but ended with the most powerful international legal instrument supporting their rights: the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The challenge for interested parties in the twenty-first century is effective implementation of this Convention. However, it is also important to consider whether in practice the concept of children's rights is interpreted to protect children's interests or their choices. Whilst child care professionals are a key group for the effective implementation of children's rights, little empirical evidence exists on how they conceptualise children's rights. Therefore, an exploration of the views of child care professionals was undertaken to inform insights into how these rights are conceptualised in practice. A qualitative research approach was utilised in which in-depth interviews were conducted with senior child care professionals in Northern Ireland. The findings indicated that children's rights were perceived as a right to protect the interest of children largely in relation to provision and protection issues. Furthermore, the Convention has been the main source of understanding and application of the concept of children's rights by professionals who participated in the study.

Drug misuse in Northern Ireland, like many parts of the world, is becoming one of the major issues facing society today. A first stage to addressing this problem is effective drugs education and prevention strategies to school-aged young people. A survey of a range of education providers including mainstream and special needs schools, and school exclusion projects, suggests that all education providers aim to provide drugs education. Within mainstream schools, drugs education and prevention for young people with special education needs is provided within an existing framework developed for all school children. In contrast, special education providers deliver this facility through an approach developed to meet the specific requirements of their client group. The findings suggest that whilst expertise in the delivery of drugs education and prevention strategies exist for young people with special education needs, it may not be specifically targeted at all of them whilst attending school.

As Northern Ireland transitions to a post-conflict society the nature of violent victimization and its influence on adolescents following the "Troubles" becomes an even more important area of interest. Adolescents are particularly at risk of victimization and associated social, emotional, and psychological health problems. In this analysis of the fifth year of the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS), the prevalence and implications of exposure to violence is examined for a sample of 3,828 young people (aged 15-16 years). Knowledge of violent events was particularly prevalent suggesting that the social and psychological legacy of the "Troubles" may pass onto post-conflict generations. Over three quarters of young people had experienced violence within their community. Exposure was associated with higher levels of depression, psychotic symptoms, and substance misuse. The findings suggest that adolescents in Northern Ireland are vulnerable to both direct and vicarious victimization, and, subsequently, to significant risks to psychological well-being. (Contains 5 tables.)

At the beginning of 2004 the UK government downgraded the legal status of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug. Following a review of this decision two years later, cannabis remained a Class C substance--which for some contrasted with the potential harmful social and health effects associated with its use, particularly for young people. These included its links with respiratory damage, problems during pregnancy and its potential to exacerbate mental health problems. When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007 his government decided to revisit this issue and requested a reexamination of its legal status. Despite the advice of its own scientific advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the UK government reclassified cannabis back to a Class B drug in May 2008. This paper examines the existing scientific evidence on the potential impact of cannabis use on young people within the context of the UK government's reclassification initiative over the past four years. This evidence remains inconclusive whilst the perception of young people to the effects of cannabis use during, and now after, the period of the reclassification debate is not yet known. This now makes it particularly challenging to communicate a clear message in the most effective manner with young people about the possible risks of cannabis use, and would appear to make it difficult to provide a clear and unambiguous statement on what message this initiative has sent to the next generation of cannabis users, as they see the government rethink its position on several occasions before eventually changing its mind. (Contains 2 tables.)

The levels of drug use amongst school-aged young people have risen over the past decade. Prevention initiatives have been developed using empirical evidence obtained from school-based surveys. The empirical evidence base of drug use amongst young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) attending special education provision is very limited. The implications of this knowledge gap for addressing drug use amongst these young people are explored in this paper. Proposals for the way forward are suggested, for developing a framework for targeted evidence-based interventions for young people attending emotional and behavioural difficulty units.

Existing empirical evidence on substance use among young people living in residential state care during adolescence is comparatively limited. This paper reports on substance use trends of young people living in residential state care during three annual data-sweeps when aged 14, 15 and 16 years. A repeated cross-sectional research design was utilised in the research. The findings suggest some similarities for lifetime prevalence rates for tobacco and alcohol use for those living in residential state care with a group of same-age young people not living in residential state care who participated in the research. However, solvent abuse and cannabis use was higher among those living in care. More frequent substance use was reported by the residential care sample for all substances at each stage of the study. These findings suggest that young people living in state care continue to merit higher levels of vigilance from researchers and policy-makers in order to fully understand this behaviour and develop appropriate prevention initiatives to meet their needs regarding potential drug problems. (Contains 4 tables.)

In Northern Ireland, young people exist in a health environment where the experience of social disadvantage is translated into serious risks to health and personal development. The years of political conflict have tended to obscure these health problems, and it is important that the difficulties faced by young people are examined and contextualized within the social, economic and educational issues relevant to our understanding of how the problems have arisen and how solutions can now be sought. The paper will draw on a range of research, including studies carried out by the authors, as Northern Ireland enters a period of relative political stability. In particular, the paper focuses on the relevance of health education provision to young people in experiencing transition to a post-conflict environment. In this present context, educational institutions are faced with pressures from policy-makers and, equally, have to take account of the contested nature of the current debates on health and the body.

This paper reports on the findings from a longitudinal survey of the drug use behaviours of young people who were attending Emotional and Behavioural Difficulty (EBD) units from the age of 11-16 years. It forms part of the Belfast Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study of adolescent drug use. This paper presents a follow-up report to a cross-sectional paper that reported on drug use behaviours of a sample of young people attending EBD units when aged 12-13 years at school (Year 9). In the present paper, reported drug use and behaviours associated with increased risk of its use between the ages of 11 and 16 years were examined. The findings show that those attending EBD units consistently reported higher levels of licit and illicit drug use throughout adolescence. Compared with young people in mainstream school, higher levels of behaviours associated with drug use including antisocial behaviour, disaffection with school, and poor communication with their parents/guardians were noted. These findings have implications for the development and timing of targeted prevention initiatives for young people attending EBD units at all stages of adolescent development. (Contains 11 tables.)

Young people excluded from school are a group at an increased risk of drug use and antisocial behaviour during adolescence and later marginalisation and exclusion from society in adulthood. As part of the Belfast Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study of the onset and development of adolescent drug use, young people who entered post-primary school in 2000 (aged 11/12 years) were surveyed annually on four occasions. This paper reports on findings from this survey in relation to a supplementary group of young people who were surveyed because they had been excluded from school. The findings show higher levels of drug use and antisocial behaviour among school excludees, lower levels of communication with their parents/guardians, higher levels of contact with the criminal justice system and increased likelihood of living in communities characterised with neighbourhood disorganisation. This lifestyle perhaps suggests these young people are leading a life that is already taking them towards the margins of society. (Contains 7 tables.)

It is now common for young people in full-time compulsory education to hold part-time jobs. However, while the 1990s experienced a rise in illicit drug use particularly among young people and an increase in the level of interest in identifying factors associated with drug use, little attention has been paid to the influence of the money young people have to spend and its potential links with drug use. Four thousand five hundred and twenty-four young people living in Northern Ireland completed a questionnaire in school year 10 (aged 13/14 years). The findings suggested that there was a positive association between the amount of money young people received (and its source) and higher rates of drug use. The study concludes that money, and how it is spent by young people, may be an important factor for consideration when investigating drug use during adolescence. The findings may help inform drug prevention strategies, particularly through advice on money management, and taking responsibility for their own money. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Fifty-one young people aged 14-15 years considered to be at a high risk to substance abuse and exhibiting antisocial behavior, primarily because they longer attended mainstream school, participated in this research by completing a questionnaire to measure drug use and delinquent behaviour. The findings suggest that many of them may have already developed a high propensity to drug abuse and antisocial behaviour compared with their peers in mainstream education. As they were all excluded from school, they were not accessing school based prevention programmes delivered to their contemporaries at school suggesting that additional and specialized resources are required to fully meet their needs.

Twenty-nine young people aged 12-13 years considered to be at a high risk of substance abuse primarily because they no longer attend mainstream school participated in the study by completing a questionnaire designed to obtain information on their drug-using behaviours. The evidence in this paper suggests that many of them are already at a high risk for problem drug use compared with their peers in mainstream education. This is heightened by the fact they are excluded from school and are not accessing school-based prevention programmes delivered to their contemporaries at school. The paper concludes by suggesting that additional resources are needed to fully meet their requirements in relation to identifying and delivering appropriate drug prevention strategies. (Contains 3 tables.)

The lifestyles of young people excluded from school have received much attention recently, particularly in relation to illicit drug use. Commentators have acknowledged that they constitute a high-risk group to social disaffection and substance abuse. This paper reports on a group of 48 young people living in Belfast aged 13-14 years who are considered to be at a particularly high risk to substance abuse because they are excluded from school. The evidence in this paper suggests that many are already exhibiting potentially high-risk behaviours to problem drug use compared with their contemporaries in mainstream education. This paper examines the evidence within the context of a limited existing literature base on this group of young people. It suggests that a more focused approach is required for the development of appropriate drug-prevention strategies to meet their needs.

This article reports on the findings from a survey of 12- and 13-year-old young people with statements of special educational needs who are attending emotional and behavioural difficulty units in Belfast. The existing literature in the area of special education suggests that a gap in contemporary empirical evidence for drug use behaviours of adolescents attending EBD units and other special educational facilities exists at present. In attempting to redress this knowledge gap, the findings from the present study support the opinions of commentators in the field that young people attending EBD units are at a high risk of illicit drug use in comparison with their contemporaries in mainstream school.

Support for child care services research is presented, using the facility at Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, as an example. It is posited that child care research can play a critical role in forming beneficial domestic policies.

Young people in the age group of 14 to 15 years, exhibiting a high risk to substance abuse and antisocial behavior, and factors increasing the propensity of young people to use illicit drugs are studied. Findings suggest that many of them who have developed a high propensity to drug abuse and anti social behavior compared to their peers in mainstream education are detached from school and experiencing low levels of parental monitoring.