Life Lessons: An embedded classroom approach to preventing high-risk behavior among preadolescents

In this article we content that the complex psychological and social challenges upper-elementary school students are beginning to face can interfere with their learning basic skills, and we suggest the value of early intervention for preventing such high-risk behaviors as eating disorders, smoking, alcohol consumption, sex, and violence. Research on changes that preadolescents experience and that are known to have implications for their learning and future adjustment is discussed and studies of interventions designed to prevent potentially self-destructive behaviors are reviewed.