1. Starke County, Indiana THE INDIANA PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER
GIS in Prevention County Profiles Series, No. 3
Starke County, Indiana
Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP
The Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University is funded, in part, by a contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, financially supported through HHS/Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. The IPRC is operated by the Department of Applied Health Science and The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

2. GIS in Prevention County Profile Series, No. 3
Starke County, Indiana
Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP
Project Staff:
Ritika Bhawal, MPH
Solomon Briggs
Kyoungsun Heo, MPA
Srinivasa Konchada
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Trustees of Indiana University or the Division of Mental Health and Addiction. Indiana University accepts full Responsibility for the content of this publication. ©2005 The Trustees of Indiana University. Permission is extended to reproduce this County Profile for non-profit educational purposes. All other rights reserved.

3. 4. Protective Factors: An Overview
The importance of protective factors in the environment cannot be over emphasized. They can make all the difference between positive or negative outcomes in child development. Decisions and behaviors with regard to substance use and other high risk behaviors are found to be associated with a constellation of risk and protective factors. These factors have come to be regarded as a “descriptive and predictive framework” within which prevention theory and prevention programs are elaborated. (CSAP 2004:3)
The web of influence which affects each individual and group includes individual, family, school, peer and community factors. Among the personal “individual” characteristics that impact decisions and behaviors are personality traits like a tendency toward sensation-seeking, mental health status, and religiosity. Influences within the family include parent-child bonding, parenting practices, parental substance use, and family size. Influences related to a child’s school experience include the quality of the bond formed between the child and school, academic performance, safety versus conflict in the school climate, and enforcement of clear policies. Pressure from peers and positive peer modeling are among peer influences predictive of abstinence from or involvement with drugs. The availability of drugs in the community, norms of use (e.g., adult use and attitudes, and community policies and enforcement), advertising and socioeconomic circumstances all contribute to the influence of community on its individual members. (CSAP 2004:4-9) These are only a few selected examples of how these factors influence youth behaviors with regard to drug use and other risky behaviors.

4. 4. Protective Factors in Starke County:
Many agencies, organizations and institutions in a child’s environment offer highly positive support and can fortify the child, reducing likelihood of high risk behaviors and substance use. Research has found that the resilience of children from very high risk circumstances is related to the protective factors which also comprise part of their environment and which have had positive impacts upon them. These children thrive in spite of negative influences and vulnerabilities. Examples of protective factors include the schools, libraries, churches, and other youth serving agencies and organizations in the child’s community.
Clark County celebrates the presence in its communities of many institutions, organizations and agencies that promote healthy child development. The teachers, program leaders, librarians, religious leaders, and those who fund them deserve the sincere thanks of all the members of the community for their role in developing future generations of healthy, intelligent, caring and civic-minded citizens. The IPRC is collecting information on assets in each county. The following graph reports the number of public and private schools; libraries (including branches); places of worship; and youth serving agencies, organizations or programs which have been identified by the IPRC:
Protective Factors
Starke
Indiana
Places of Worship (InfoUSA, 2005) 50
10455
Youth Serving Agencies (InfoUSA, 2005) 4
864
Libraries (IN State Library, 2005)
439
Schools (DOE, 2006) 10
2801
Table School data from the Department of Education, library data
the Indiana State Library, churches and youth serving agencies from
InfoUSA (2005).
CSAP. Science-Based Prevention Programs and Principles Rockville: U.S. DHHS, SAMHSA, 2003.

5. Afternoons R.O.C.K. in Indiana Programs
Afternoons R.O.C.K. Programs, School Year
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Afternoons R.O.C.K. in Indiana, 2006

6. Places of Worship Places of Worship, 2005
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
InfoUSA, American Church List, 2005

7. Youth Serving Agencies
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
InfoUSA, American Church List, 2005

8. Public Libraries and Branches
Main Library, 2006
Branch Library, 2006
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Indiana State Library, 2006

9. Schools School Indiana Prevention Resource Center
Indiana Department of Education, 2005

10. Married Couple Families with Children
St. Joseph County, IN
Mishawaka city, IN
South Bend city, IN
Married Couple Families with Children
(23)
(6)
(35)
(22)
Indiana Prevention Resource Center
AGS, Core Demographics,
2004 estimates (2005)