Findings of the implementation of the Universal Prevention Curricula (UPC) in Peru

Schools play an important role in the prevention of the use of psychoactive substances and other risky behaviors, and various strategies have been used to achieve this objective. The most widely used is the implementation of school prevention curricula, which are usually programmes that are carried out in the classroom to achieve the social and emotional learning (SEL) that is essential to prevent risky behaviors. However, the evaluation of these programmes has shown little or no effect on the prevention of substance use, despite the fact that they have adequate structures, content and delivery methods. The development of the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and of the Universal Prevention Curriculum in the last years has allowed the identification of the necessary components that an effective intervention must have. Likewise, the construction of a positive school climate is identified as a cornerstone for SEL, and consequently, the prevention of risky behaviours. This chapter will present a practical experience of an intervention based on the Universal Prevention Curriculum, with positive part-time results in the construction of a positive school climate, SEL and the prevention of substance use.