Teenagers and preteens drug abuse
From preteens and teenagers’ points of view, the use of facts about substances and their effects is a better choice as a form of scaring tactics. Furthermore, they are likely to suggest the use of recovered drug abusers turned counselors so that they can get first-hand information about the experiences and the dangers of drug abuse. It turns out that more of the programming that preteens and teenagers suggest is about a quest for their curiosity, which can be counterproductive. They would also suggest the use of “Just say no” programming. Teachers in schools would also be their preferred facilitators rather than parents. Elsewhere, parents would not answer this question exactly the same way because most of them take their kids as very innocent and hence do not want to take that away by teaching them the facts about substance abuse. Some parents would also prefer the use of “the saying no” programming.
As a counselor, I would prefer parents’ involvement in counseling sessions for both preteens and teenagers. Schools should create programs where parents teach their kids about the dangers of substance abuse. For teenagers, programs that are facilitated by their peers can be instrumental. Preteens can be taught through community involvement, where most people around them, not necessarily their teachers or parents, promote abstinence. Programs that combine psychological counseling can also be more effective since teenagers and preteens are likely to abuse drugs because of factors like depression and stress as they try to discover themselves. Another programming that I would prefer is identifying teenagers and preteens who are more at risk of getting into drug abuse (TEDx, 2018). For instance, the kids that grow in backgrounds with gangs are more exposed to drug abuse. This program will prevent exposing kids that are not necessary at risk of abusing substances to information, making them curious, which is counterproductive (Khanacademymedicine, 2015).