Reducing substance abuse:
Parents can have an impact
Petrie J, Bunn F, Byrne G
The Bottom Line:
Programs that require active participation by parents appear to be most successful in reducing substance abuse in older children and young teens. Also effective are programs that place emphasis on social skills and responsibility for one’s own behaviour, or that provide information about substance abuse. The setting for the program (at home, at school, or a combination of both), seem to be less important than whether or not there is active participation by both parents and children. |
What problem is being addressed?
Many interventions designed to reduce or eliminate substance abuse are directed at teenagers and are often presented as part of the school curriculum. Yet teens, whether they like it or not, are still very much influenced by their parents. Parents want to help their children, but they often don’t know how to go about it. There’s lots of information available on the Internet and in popular books, but no way for parents to know which methods will work best.
This systematic review looked at whether parents can be effective in preventing their children from engaging in substance abuse, and what skills and knowledge are most valuable to parents who wish to help their child.
What intervention is being tested?
The authors reviewed studies that looked at the effectiveness of parenting programs designed to prevent or reduce use, misuse or abuse of drugs, tobacco or alcohol by children under 18 years of age as compared to either no intervention or to other interventions. The programs had to involve the development of parenting skills, skills to improve communication between parent and child, or skills and knowledge needed for the parents to support school programs aimed at preventing substance abuse.
The interventions were designed to build on what is known about child and adolescent social development. For example, interventions for older children were based on the importance of parent and teacher relationships. For younger teens, skills related to understanding and resisting peer pressure were emphasized. Programs for adolescents focused on their emerging independence and helping them learn to make good choices.
What is the real scientific evidence?
The most effective programs for preteens and young teens were those that focused on strengthening family bonds, involving the children in family activities, and managing disagreement and conflicts. These programs did not focus primarily on the issue of substance abuse.
The programs worked best if the parents were committed to attending sessions and completing the course work. Programs that involved collaboration between parents and their children’s schools were also effective in reducing substance abuse if they involved teaching teens social skills and how to make decisions for themselves, as well as providing information about substance use.
The preceding is a summary of:
Petrie J, Bunn F, Byrne G. Parenting programmes for preventing tobacco, alcohol or drugs misuse in children: A systematic review. Health Education Research 2007, 22(2): 177-191.
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