To improve the effectiveness of prevention programs targeting youth at highest risk for early and risky sexual behavior, it is critical to understand the developmental precursors of risk and to incorporate a developmental perspective into prevention program design (Hipwell et al. 2010). Current prevention programs that target middle-school students may be too little, too late to change the trajectories of the highest-risk early starters – those who initiate sexual activity by age 13. Given its increasing prevalence in the U.S. and its association with socioeconomic disadvantage, early-starting sexual activity represents an important source of health disparities, particularly in the area of STDs and HIV/AIDs risk (Albert et al. 2003; Brendgen et al. 2007). This study provides important insights into the early childhood and preadolescent characteristics of youth who are at high risk for early sexual activity and the associated negative consequences of unintended pregnancy and STD. Although the Fast Track prevention program was effective in reducing antisocial behavior, no “spillover” effects reducing the early initiation of sexual risk and accompanying early initiation of substance use were detected. This study focused
