Getting Real About Youth Substance Use and Crime: How ‘Realistic’ Theories can Improve Knowledge and Understanding for Practice

Abstract

Abstract Set against a backdrop of a need to develop new theories of youth ‘risk’ behaviour, a groundwork for how such theoretical work might be undertaken is described. Meta-theoretical principles from critical realism are used to help clarify issues such as causality in an open world, adolescents as stratified social agents, and science as a value-laden practice. A methodology for developing fallibilistic, context-sensitive knowledge is also outlined. These principles are applied to two influential risk behaviour theories—the social development model and problem behaviour theory—to illustrate how existing theory can be clarified and developed. In particular, current theories may negate adolescent agency in relation to different socio-ecological contexts. Moreover, there is a need for greater reflexivity about the moral frameworks that implicitly guide theory and thus practice. Examples of quantitative empirical studies are also discussed to demonstrate how they contribute towards building realistic theories for prevention practice.