NCJ Number
177683
Journal
Reaching Today's Youth Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: Fall 1998 Pages: 18-23
Date Published
1998
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the role of rites of passage in youth development and of juvenile alcohol use concludes that youth will create their own rites of passage, including the use and abuse of alcohol, unless they have healthy and constructive alternatives.
Abstract
Rites of passage are a normal part of a young person's growth from adolescence to adulthood. They are characterized by three phases: separation, transition, and reincorporation. Common examples of rituals include birthday parties, school graduation ceremonies, and weddings. Examples of youth rituals involving alcohol include champagne toasts following a significant achievement, going to a bar or pub after taking a test, or drinking beer at the beach or while watching a sporting event. Most attention to alcohol use and abuse currently focuses on educational, regulatory, and promotional efforts. These cognitive appeals often do not focus on understanding and responding to youths' underlying psychosocial needs. Youth often practice alcohol use and abuse as a rite of passage. Evidence that the current approaches to controlling juvenile alcohol use suggests the need for a different approach. The challenge is to develop meaningful and safe rites of passage rituals to permit youth to prove their worthiness to become members of their new groups without using dangerous, addictive, and permanently debilitating ritual activities such as the use and abuse of alcohol. Working with youth to design, administer, and monitor such rituals offers educators and youth advisors more positive, viable, and constructive ways to reducing alcohol use and abuse than does trying to ban all rites of passage activities. Illustration, chart, and 34 references