An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors, Drug Use, and Delinquency in Trinidad and Tobago

The 2006 Trinidad and Tobago Youth Survey was administered between March and June 2006. The survey contained questions that measured 16 risk factors, 13 protective factors, and involvement in delinquency, drug use, and other youth focused concerns. Students enrolled in forms three and five were targeted for the sample population. Surveys were collected from 22 schools in five districts. A total of 2,376 respondents agreed to participate in the study, for a response rate of 36% of eligible students. The Trinidad and Tobago Youth Survey measured risk and protective factors in four domains: community, school, family, and peer/individual. This thesis focuses on a broad range of issues concerning crime, drugs, and other anti-social behavior among youth for the purpose of informing prevention, intervention, and suppression programming. The findings indicated that there is much room for improvement for reducing risk factors related to communities, schools, families, and individuals and their peers in Trinidad and Tobago.