Which framework helps in understanding how risk and protective factors interact across multiple levels?

• A. Health Belief Model
• B. Social-Ecological Model
• C. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• D. Theory of Planned Behavior

Answer: (B)

The Social-Ecological Model explains how risk and protective factors operate across multiple levels and influence each other. It recognizes layers such as the individual, the people they interact with, the organizations they’re part of, the surrounding community, and the broader policies that shape behavior. Behaviors and outcomes aren’t driven by a single factor; factors at one level can amplify or buffer effects at other levels. In a command climate or DEOCS context, for example, a service member’s personal beliefs about reporting misconduct interact with unit norms, leadership behavior, available training and resources, community attitudes, and formal policies. Because interventions need to address multiple levels to reduce risk factors (like fear of retaliation or stigma) and strengthen protective factors (such as supportive leadership and clear reporting channels), this framework best captures how risk and protection emerge and change. Other models focus more on individual beliefs or intentions without the explicit emphasis on how different environmental levels interact to shape outcomes.