When the Servant Becomes the Master by Jason Z.W. Powers

Author:Jason Z.W. Powers
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781942094555
Publisher: Central Recovery Press, LLC
Published: 2018-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

Adolescents

I am frequently approached by parents and schools with questions about teens, such as “What’s the best way to prevent addiction?” “How do we know if our Johnny has a problem?” or “What type of treatment works on teens?” The truth is that very little is known for sure. There is relatively little good empirical data out there on the topic. But federally funded research on adolescents guides us in several effective interventions on risky teen behaviors.

In order to be effective, prevention programs should follow these recommendations to the maximum extent possible:

Be long-term121 and comprehensive in addressing any and all forms of alcohol and other drug abuse, including illegal underage use of legal drugs.122

Include a community approach with parents, teachers, law enforcement, social scientists, and other related personnel all working together on a unified message,123 and locally via an ethno-appropriate approach (i.e., race, gender, age, etc., should be matched to intervention efforts).124

Family members and other key support systems should receive concrete relationship and parenting skills training.125,126

Early intervention is key; as is true with diabetes or addiction, early intervention on risky behavior, such as poor self-regulation and truancy, is more effective than waiting until the problem is larger.127,128

Prevention programs are most effective when they are interactive, including role-playing exercises, rather than relying heavily on classroom, didactic-style lecturing.129

Prevention programs need to focus on the dual goals of decreasing risk factors, such as risky behaviors or dangerous attitudes, and increasing positive protective factors, such as healthy role models and activities.130

A frequent challenge I encounter when working with parents of teens with a substance abuse or behavioral issue lies in the key role parents must play in their children’s lives. In session, a fairly large number of parents turn to their child after I say something about firm boundaries and consequences and say, “Do you hear that? Listen to him.” I then have to remind parents that I cannot be the parent, I cannot go home with them, and boundaries with consequences are theirs and theirs alone to set and enforce.

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