NCJ Number
66817
Date Published
Unknown
Length
21 pages
Annotation
TRAINING FOR LIVING, A BROOKLYN, N.Y. PROGRAM, TRAINED STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO MOUNT DRUG ABUSE-RELATED PROGRAMS IN 12 SCHOOLS AND TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNICATION NETWORK FOR INFORMATION SHARING.
Abstract
THE TRAINEES WERE 59 ADULT AND 112 STUDENTS FROM 12 HIGH SCHOOLS IN COMMUNITIES RANGING FROM UPPER MIDDLE CLASS TO GHETTOS. TRAINING FOCUSED ON PREVENTION SKILLS AND LASTED 100 HOURS, WITH THE FIRST 50 HOURS CENTERING ON ATTITUDE SKILLS AND THE SECOND, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. FOR ATTITUDE AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS, STUDENTS MET IN SMALL GROUPS OF 10 AND PARTICIPATED IN CONFRONTATION METHODS. STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WERE PREPARED TO WORK TOGETHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. IN THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PHASE, MEDICAL, LEGAL, COUNSELING, AND EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE WERE EXAMINED INDEPTH. MOREOVER, THE TRAINEES WERE GIVEN QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING VARIOUS ATTITUDES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE TRAINING PROGRAM. THE IMPORTANCE OF DRUG ISSUES TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS MARKEDLY INCREASED AS A RESULT OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM, AS DID KNOWLEDGE OF THE DRUG SCENE, ABILITY TO DEAL WITH DRUG ABUSERS IN THE HUGH SCHOOLS, AND ABILITY TO RELATE WITH PEERS OR OTHERS. THE TRAINEES ALSO VIEWED THE TRAINING PROGRAM AS VERY HELPFUL AND HAVING MET ITS GOALS, ALTHOUGH TEACHERS RATED IT SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN STUDENTS. FURTHER, MANY DIFFERENT DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS WITHIN THE PROGRAM FOLLOWED. THE PROGRAM'S SUCCESS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS TAUGHT RATHER THAN MERELY TO ITS INFORMATION; STUDENTS FEEL THEY SHOULD USE THESE SKILLS TO FIND OUT WHY THEIR PEERS USE DRUGS TO MAKE DRUG PREVENTION MOST EFFECTIVE. DISCUSSION OF THESE PREVENTION PROGRAMS WITHIN HIGH SCHOOLS REVEALS THAT SUPPORT FROM PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS IS A KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS. TABLES AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.