Abstract

The present study investigated the role of protective factors (individual and environmental resources) on the adolescent involvement in psychoactive substances and sex, within an interactionistic and constructivistic theoretical framework (Silbereisen et al., 1986; Jessor et al., 1991). The sample is normative and is constituted by 500 adolescents of both gender, aged from 14 to 19 years and attending different types of high school. The self-report questionnaire "Me and my health" (Bonino, Cattelino and Ciairano, 2003) was used to collect the data. The results (linear hierarchic regression, factorial analysis of variance were used) showed that the resources have both direct and buffering effects on the involvement in risk behaviours.