|
Adolescent Drug Abuse Facts & Myths
The epidemic of adolescent drug abuse represents a phenomenon of a
normal (albeit undesirable) adolescent rite of passage
(Borvin, G., Bakere, E., Dusenbury, L (1990) Preventing adolescent drug
abuse through a multimodal cognitivebehavioral approach: Results of a 3-year study.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58:4, 437-446)
(Shedler, J. & Block, J. (1990) Adolescent drug use and psychological health,
American Psychologist, 45:5, 612-630)
(Newcomb, M. & Ligman, L. (1988) Conseguences of adolescent drug
use: Impact on the lives of young adults, Newbury Park, CA: Sage)
For the majority of adolescents experimentation with drugs
represents a brief period of testing limits followed by conventional lifestyles
(Lamarine, R. (1993) School drug education programming: In search of a
new direction. Journal of Drug Education, 23:4, 325-331)
Adolescents already psychologically distressed are more prone to develop
prolonged drug dependency
(Mayer, J. & Ligman, J. (1989) Personality characteristics of
adolescent marijuana users, Adolescence, 24:96, 965-976)
(Botvin, G., Bakere, E., Dusenbury, L (1990) Preventing adolescent drug
abuse through a multimodal cognitivebehavioral approach: Results of a 3-year study.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58:4, 437-446)
(Shedler, J. & Block, J. (1990) Adolescent drug use and psychological health,
American Psychologist, 45:5, 612-630)
Unsolicited peer pressure is not the
major variable contributing to adolescent drug abuse. Psychologically disturbed
adolescents, wanting drugs, actively seek out peer groups that will support drug use
(Sheppard, M., Wright, D., & Goodstadt, M. (1985) Peer pressure and
drug use: Exploding the myth, Adolescence, 20:80, 949-958)
The current assumption that a few
hours of drug education in the classroom setting can somehow be translated into
significant alterations in problem behaviors (which are rooted in deep-seated
psychological dysfunction) is based on misguided and fanciful thinking
(Lamarine, R. (1993) School drug education programming: In search of a
new direction. Journal of Drug Education, 23:4, 325-331)
Behaviors and value orientations of
substance abusers are connected to the following predictors evident in early childhood
prior to drug problem: - exhibition of antisocial behaviors (cheating, lying, stealing) -
seldom involved in extra curricular school activities - achieve poor grades
(Botvin, J. (1988) Preventing adolescent substance abuse through life
skills training, in Fourteen Ounces of Prevention, Price, R., Cowen, E., Lorion, R. &
Ramos-McKay, J. (eds.), American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C, 98-110)
(Botvin, G., Bakerd, E., Dusenbury, L (1990) Preventing adolescent drug
abuse through a multimodal cognitivebehavioral approach: Results of a 3-year study.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58:4, 437-446)
(Board of Trustees Report, (1991) Drug abuse in the U.S., Journal of the
American Medical Association, 265:16, 2102-2107)
A rational approach to combating drug abuse includes targeting high
risk youth with the following strategies:
encourage sensitive and empathetic parenting
build childhood self-esteem
develop sound interpersonal skills/relationships
promote involvement and commitment to meaningful goals
(Shedler, J. & Block, J. (1990) Adolescent
drug use and psychological health, American Psychologist, 45:5, 612-630)
|