Youth Behavioral Risks and Psychosocial Resources in Peru's Alternative-Development Zones

The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID. Context. Alternative-development (AD) programs are being offered to the population of seven regions of central-eastern Peru involved in coca cropping. The youth of these regions are above the national average in risk of pregnancy and sexually-transmited infections, use of alcohol and drugs, and violence against women. This study sought to identify and describe protective factors expected to function as counterforces to such risks (objective 1), develop reliable indicators and provide a baseline concerning the risk behaviors and protective factors (objective 2), compare youth by gender, developmental stage, urbanization, and geography to determine whether segmented interventions are required (objective 3), and recommend specific intervention strategies (objective 4). Methodology. Five AD zones in Peru's Amazonian basin (Apurímac-Ene, Leoncio Prado, Aguaytía, Alto Huallaga-Tocache, and Huallaga Central) were targeted. Urban and rural secondary schools were drawn from each zone and students of both sexes from 1 st to 5 th grades responded to a questionnaire. A sub-sample then participated in in-depth interviews. 1,721 questionnaires and 70 interviews were analyzed. Results. Male students reported greater prevalence of sexual activity than female students. This asymmetry may be explained by male students having intercourse with girls outside the school system, i.e., lower SES partners, and female students being more selective of partner and circumstance. Males take the initiative in intercourse and use of contraception, and mainly pursue short-term relationships. Individualistic values are more developed in males and promote sexual initiation. Fear of pregnancy prevails among the female students, who generally pose resistance and seek long-term involvement with older males. Collectivistic values are more developed in females and promote virginity. Males showed higher prevalence than females in alcohol consumption and drug use. Males both impart receive violence to a greater extent than females. Females showed a higher level of depression/anxiety than males but self-esteem was similar in the two genders. Parents are the main actors in social support networks. Conclusions and Recommendations. Objective 1: Female collectivistic values and a long-term partnering strategy are protective factors that delay sexual initiation and must be strengthened to prevent adolescent pregnancy and STIs. Community support protects females against sex and violence, while self-control protects males. Family and teacher support, respectively, protect both male and female students with respect to substance use and violence. Objective 2: The indicators of generally high reliability developed regarding six …