The CHOICE program is able to show students the facts on youth alcohol use, with data received from the monitoring the future statistics. Data was received from multiple schools throughout the country, and students were given the tests in gym class to measure actual student drug and alcohol use. This program has sessions for a half hour after school once a week. Unfortunately these sessions are voluntary meaning students must go out of their way for the program. CHOICE offers multiple activities too youth, including providing feedback on substance abuse, challenging unrealistic beliefs, resisting pressure through role play, and discussing risky situations along with coping strategies. However once this program was evaluated, it was found …show more content…
This is a community-based mentoring program in which at risk youth are able to have a positive adult role model in their life. The program targets youth that need it most, whether they come from a single parent home, are coping with a parental incarceration, or have seen trauma in the household. Youth come from many different home environments, family structures, neighborhoods, and social-economic levels. Regardless of these factors, each youth is unique and have been identified for having a need of a friendship with a helpful adult. The Big Brother Big Sister programs joined forces in 1970 to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Much alike most other mentoring programs, this was designed off of the social control theory. The social control theory utilizes the idea that socialization and social learning builds self-control, reducing the inclination of participating in an act that would be considered anti-social. This derives down from functionalist theory of crime; all in all people’s relationships, values, commitments, and norms encourage them to not stray away from the bonds of …show more content…
As your policy advisor I highly recommend that we defund the CHOICE program and implement the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Over 100,000 children are already enrolled in the Big Brother Big Sister program around the country, with roughly 45,000 of them having an incarcerated parent; once implemented in Connecticut this number will only be able to increase more and more. The CHOICE program has shown time and time again that it simply cannot reach the correct amount of youth that it is intended too. While after school programs will still be in place for at risk youth, there are better alternatives. Only five percent of students had completed the CHOICE programs in schools that had them, defunding this program should not have much resistance from the public. And showing the public how we are using the extra money to fund an even better program will only improve relations. Any backlash from the public will be dealt with by showing them the facts of both programs, and allowing them to see how ineffectual CHOICE is compared to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Students who attended a CHOICE program will directly be given the opportunity to enroll in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program as to make sure that they are getting the help that they
The reason for this program is to use innovative approaches in developing programs, which will teach youth alternatives to violence, substance abuse, anger issues, low self-esteem, and the consequences as a result of making bad choices. During, the program non-violence, team building, leadership development and communication skills is promoted. A neutral and positive setting is provided for young people, so they are able to come together from different gangs throughout the city to work on their issues and programs together. When a youth is referred to the program they have an Intake-Assessment with the family. “Together, a Program Contract/Service Plan will be developed based on the individual needs of the youth/family. If the youth is on probation/parole all requirements of the courts will be incorporated into their contract. Services offered are case management, mediation, innovative focus groups, presentations, collaboration with other youth service organizations, and attendance at court hearings” (Stop ABQ Gangs,
Residents of the town of Longmeadow are very aware that “Longmeadow teens are outperforming teens nationwide” in their consumption of alcohol. Committees have been formed within the community to eliminate the under-aged drinking problem. Many students interviewed at Longmeadow high school say that once they have adapted to a “party lifestyle”, or a lifestyle when one drinks every weekend or more, a breathalyzer is not going to end that habit. A school dance could be a fun place to meet with friends to socialize, hang out and dace, but many people feel that they cannot enjoy themselves as much with out drinking. One LHS student says “ I’d have more fun at a house party drinking that I would at an alcohol-free school function.” This idea may not be morally or legally correct, but it keeps many students from attending school dances. This is where the problem with the breathalyzer begins. Kids who want to drink will go to unsupervised environments rather than to a place where there are adults who could handle a serious situation should one ever occur. It is not legal for kids to drink because they are not capable of dealing with serious situations. The problem of stopping kids from drinking in Longmeadow is much too large for anyone to deal with, but drunken kids should have a safe place to go where they can be watched over.
The youth control complex is a form of social control in which the justice system (the prison system) and the socializing and social control institutions (school system) work together to stigmatize, criminalize, and punish inner city youth. Accordingly, these adolescents’ are regarded as deviant and incompetent to participate within U.S. society. On that note, deviance is created based on socially constructed labels of deviances; otherwise, deviance wouldn’t happen without these labels. Once an individual engages in a deviant behavior, it results in a response, often times, some type of punishment from the justice system. The youth control complex creates social incapacitation (social death) among juveniles. This ubiquitous system of social
Balko, Radley. "Let My Students Drink." Reason. (Feb. 2009). Web. 19 Feb. 2016. John McCardell was a former college president who took his experience dealing with underage drinking and decided to develop an organization called Choose Responsibly. The organization supports lower the legal drinking age. He later developed the Amethyst Initiative to help campuses across the U.S. to join together. In the article, Mr. McCardell gives his reasons for starting the growing movement. The purpose of this article is to inform other college delegates and leaders about the organizations they can join they share the same beliefs. It was published in a magazine that discusses rising issues to help promote the initiative. The article is unique due to its interview arrangement which gives it a more personal feel. My thesis is supported by this article because it provides me with
The professionals in the panel made some great points throughout the video about substance abuse in adolescents, including the fact that substance abuse treatment can be difficult to incorporate into the primary health care system and substance abuse disorders are rarely recognized or prevented (Volkow, Janda, Nestler, & Levine, 2014). The advantage of using evidence-based practices in treating substance abuse disorders is that they focus on prevention as well as continued treatment after initial intervention. An example of this kind of EBP is called Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents and “according to research studies, this therapy helps adolescents become drug free and increases their ability to remain drug free after treatment ends” (Azrin, 1994). This evidence-based practice surrounds itself on the idea that by demonstrating desired behavior and consistently rewarding it incrementally, the unwanted behavior can be changed (Azrin, 1994). Activities within Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents “include fulfilling specific assignments, rehearsing desired behaviors, and recording and reviewing progress, with praise and privileges given for meeting assigned goals” (Azrin, 1994). This EBP, and EBP’s like it that focus on the mental and behavioral health of adolescent population, are used to treat substance abuse and dependence and have shown to be effective in research and community
Overuse of alcohol is becoming a large problem across the United States of America. Drinking is always considered a problem if it is not being done responsibly or in moderation. Teenagers that choose to drink illegally usually drink as much as they can hold; in result, parts of their memory can disappear. Teenagers do not drink in moderation; as a result, they drink much more than they can handle just to be “cool” in front of their friends. Drinking can be a problem in all ages, but the most problems arise in the younger generation. Teenagers drinking are not only harming themselves but also the surrounding lives. Lowering the drinking age would cause a significant increase in school drop-outs and even deaths. Teenagers do not think about how
This article speaks of adolescent alcohol use and abuse. It examines the lack of research done on adolescent health issues and the current knowledge of the consequences of adolescent alcohol consumption. The article also presents strategies on how to inform and clarify the issues of adolescent alcohol abuse.
Shute, J. (2013). Family Support as a Gang Reduction Measure. Children & Society, 27(1), 48-59. doi:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00368.x
The EBP that I chose is BASICS it is designed to help students make better alcohol-use decisions.” Students often conform to patterns of heavy drinking they see as acceptable while holding false beliefs about alcohol's effects or actual alcohol-use norms. “The program's style is empathetic, not confrontational or judgmental, and 1) reduces alcohol consumption and its adverse consequences; 2) promotes healthier choices among young adults; and, 3) provides important information and coping skills for risk reduction. BASICS is an alcohol skills training program (ASTP) that aims to reduce harmful consumption and associated problems in students who drink alcohol. The key elements underlying the ASTP approach include 1) the application of cognitive-behavioral self-management strategies 2) the use of motivational enhancement techniques; and, 3) the use of harm reduction
Drinking and driving, smoking tobacco, or consuming drugs such as marijuana seems to be the new way to be cool in high school nowadays. It can make teenagers feel superior, but they don’t know that the happiness is only a mask, covering the true long-terms affects of what drugs and alcohol may do to you. It takes less than one minute to ruin your life using these illegal substances. The pressure can lead to choices teenagers may not want to take and this doesn’t only affect that child. Drug and alcohol abuse in teens today will affect the men and women they become tomorrow.
Ron Rodriguez from County Academy used drugs every day to function. He became so wrapped up in his lifestyle of buying and selling drugs that he felt like a prisoner. His grades dropped below average. For 2 years, he asked for help saying, “Should I go see a therapist?” to anyone that would listen. Ron would flush his system out before the annual drug test, and pass. When County Academy decided to give random drug test instead of annual tests, Ron received the help he needed. The school counseled him, in privacy, and told him he needed to go to rehab. Ron received the help he needed because County Academy found a student whose life was being taken over by drugs and helped influence him to get the proper help he needed. Today, Ron attends County Academy as a junior; he is drug free. This story serves as a great example of how drug testing helps keep students away from using drugs. Drug testing students can help prevent the use of a mind altering substance. Testing potentially offers guidance for logical decisions to be made. A school having random drug tests could help lessen drug use and offer help to those feeling controlled by substance addiction. Drug testing in schools are a potential way of enabling better brain development. Testing can teach a student about becoming employed, for most jobs require a drug test for pre-employment and future employment. Drug test teach students to be accountable for their own actions. Non-prescribed drugs are currently illegal for children and adults to use for personal satisfaction, such as achieving a euphoric state of mind or selling for profit. Drug testing in schools is a positive reinforcement on students.
Many young people join street gangs due to weak family relationships and poor social control. Social Control Theory presumes that people will naturally commit crime if there were left to their own devices (i.e. no laws in society) and people do not commit crimes because of certain controlling forces, such as social bonds that hold individuals back partaking on their anti social behavior (Bell, 2011). Examples of controlling forces are family, school, peers, and the law. Young people who are t...
The use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs during adolescence and early adulthood remains a serious health problem in the United States. Among the drug classes, alcohol is the most frequently used substance by adolescents and that is followed by marijuana and tobacco. The consequences of alcohol and drug abuse are critical on both a personal and social level. For the developing young adult drug and alcohol abuse threatens motivation, hinders the cognitive processes, increases the risk of accidental injury or death, and contributes to debilitating mood disorders. In addition, it contributes to educational failure, juvenile crime, increase in mental health services, and high cost in health care. Oftentimes, there are underlying mental health issues that are undiagnosed or existing conditions that are medicated which can invariably lead to an increase in adolescent alcohol and substance use disorder.
The use of drug testing in high schools is a form of ideology, that will combat drug use in teenagers, that is being spread across the American nation. It is also not uncommon to see the supporters of the plan, as it is to see the ones who oppose the testing. Both of the clashing clans can make their case of whether the drug testing is needed or if it is something that needs to dissipate with the morning breeze, but when all has been said and done, the use of teenage drug testing plays an important role in putting a definite ending to early abuse of illegal substances like drugs.
(2) Some experts believe the schools’ anti-drug programs are effective. Two popular programs are Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare), and the School Program to Educate and Control Drug Abuse (SPECA). The project Dare and SPECA programs use uniformed police officers to inform students in 5th, 6th and 7th grade about the risks of drugs, and how to avoid negative peer pressure (DeJong 109). William DeJong ,who is an analyst for the Education Development Center, has prepared this study for the National Institute of Justice (Bernards 108).