NCJ Number
190801
Date Published
January 2001
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This paper identifies "hopelessness" as a major cause of juvenile drug use, discusses how youth are often robbed of hope, and suggests ways in which parents and others can nurture hope in children, with drug-use prevention being one effect.
Abstract
"Hope" is defined as "the confidence that something desirable will happen." Hope is nurtured by a positive parent-child relationship that provides guidance and positive experiences for children and youth. Part of a parent-child relationship is to teach children about dangers and guide them in the development of behaviors and attitudes that help keep them from harm, including the harms caused by drug use and abuse. Further, poor school performance has been found to be related to health risks, including drug use. Teachers must be sensitive to the need for encouragement and individual guidance for students who are having difficulty in school. Other sources of negative influence that rob children and youth of hope are peers that use drugs and the media glamorization of drug use. A comprehensive drug prevention program must provide information and training that helps strategic adults in children's lives, such as parents and teachers, to recognize the importance of hope as an underlying factor in the development of positive behaviors and attitudes, as well as to practice those measures that help children to develop and maintain hope. This paper offers suggestions for various actors in this endeavor, including parents, teachers, coaches, community workers, pastors, scout leaders, and medical professionals. Suggestions are also offered for the workplace and the media.