NCJ Number
13971
Date Published
1974
Length
73 pages
Annotation
JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CHARLOTTE (NC) WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER A DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM LASTING 5 OR 10 WEEKS TO DETERMINE CHANGES IN ATTITUDINAL STATES ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG ABUSE.
Abstract
FIVE EXPERIMENTAL AND FIVE CONTROL GROUPS WERE PRETESTED USING THE MCLEOD HIGH RISK INVENTORY AND POSTTESTED AFTER THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS RAN 5 TO 10 WEEKS. THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL GROUPS SHOWED NO PARTICULAR PATTERNS ACROSS 13 ATTITUDE SCALES AND WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THE ATTITUDE SCALES CORRESPONDED TO THESE HIGH RISK STATES - INCOHESIVE FAMILY LIFE, POOR PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP, LACKS COMMITMENT, POOR TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP, LACKS ATTACHMENT TO SCHOOL, LACKS ATTACHMENT TO ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS, HOPELESSNESS AND CANNOT COPE, ILLNESS, BOREDOM, REBELLION, LONELINESS, POOR SELF-IMAGE, AND PEER PRESSURE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT 5 TO 10 WEEKS IS TOO SHORT A TIME TO OBTAIN SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN DEEP SEATED ATTITUDES AND THAT THE GROUPS NEED TO RUN AT LEAST A SEMESTER AND POSSIBLY A YEAR. EXTENSIVE DATA ARE PRESENTED IN NARRATIVE AND TABULAR FORM AND THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT IS REPRODUCED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT) MECKLENBURG COUNTY (NC)