NCJ Number
197598
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 32 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 245-259
Editor(s)
Robert M. Huff M.P.H,
Michael V. Kline M.P.H,
James Robinson ED.D.
Date Published
2002
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article describes and examines a model of group intervention as a preventive therapeutic tool to help children of addicted parents.
Abstract
Children with addictive parents experience a variety of difficulties and damage to the development of the “self,” especially the inability to relate to others. Group intervention is one of the remedial tools available for the treatment of children of drug addicts. The group intervention is an integral component of the rehabilitation of the addicted parents and their families. The group meets once a week for one and a half hours over an 18-month period. The theoretical approach behind the group intervention is the Activity-Interview Group Psychotherapy (A-IGP). It includes individual and group interaction based on play, hands-on activities, and verbalization, emphasizing the development of relationships. Three main goals established for group intervention include: educational goals, social-familial goals, and emotional-dynamic goals. The ultimate aim is to reduce the risk of a second and even a third generation of addicts. The developmental stages of the group intervention include both verbal and non-verbal experiences. A variety of procedures are used to assess the effectiveness of the group intervention model: (1) documentation of every session by the leaders; (2) informal individual talks with each child and each parent; and (3) feedback elicited during group discussions from children and from joint parents-children meetings. Stories of two children are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the procedures used and some of the conclusions. This model offers the children the opportunity to learn to relate to others in a supportive environment and develop emotional awareness. It also offers a dynamic, long-term, continuous process, dealing with the children’s difficulties, along with the parallel process of rehabilitation. References