NCJ Number
68227
Journal
NEUE PRAXIS Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 269-391
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
METHODS AND RESULTS OF AMERICAN, CANADIAN, AND WEST GERMAN STUDIES EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AMONG JUVENILES ARE CRITICALLY EXAMINED.
Abstract
THE GOALS OF COURSES ON DRUG ABUSE ARE 1) TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON DRUG EFFECTS, ON FORMS OF DRUG DEPENDENCE, ON LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF CONSUMPTION, AND ON TREATMENT MODES; 2) TO PROMOTE A CRITICAL ATTITUDE TOWARD CONSUMPTION OF LEGAL AND ILLEGAL DRUGS; AND 3) TO PRESENT BEHAVIORAL ALTERNATIVES TO DRUG CONSUMPTION (E.G., MEDITATION). THE INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS FAVORED ARE AN EXAGGERATED EMPHASIS ON HORROR STORIES ABOUT DRUG CONSUMPTION AND THE PRESENTATION OF OBJECTIVE INFORMATION ON DRUG EFFECTS FROM A PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. PROGRAM EVALUATION STUDIES USE THE THE TRADITIONAL PROCEDURE OF EXAMINING AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP IN PRETESTS AND POSTTESTS, TIME SERIES PROCEDURES, AND MULTIPLE TIME SERIES PROCEDURES. STANDARD VARIABLES MEASURED ARE CONTEXT CHANGES BETWEEN MEASUREMENTS, INSPECIFIC CHANGES SUCH AS MATURATION, ATTITUDE CHANGES, CHANGES IN MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION, REGRESSION EFFECTS, SELECTION EFFECTS, EXPERIMENTAL MORTALITY, AND SELECTION-MATURATION INTERACTION. ALMOST ALL TYPES OF TESTS ARE BASED ON QUESTIONNAIRE DATA WITHOUT DIRECT OBSERVATION. DRUG PROGRAMS CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO HALT ALL USE OF DRUGS, AND EVALUATIONS, WHICH ARE USUALLY CONDUCTED ON A CONTRACT BASIS IN A COMPLEX POLITICAL SITUATION, CANNOT MEASURE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS SOLELY ACCORDING TO THE ELIMINATION OF DRUG USE. WEST GERMAN PREVENTIVE DRUG ABUSE PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS TEND TO LINK ANY KIND OF DRUG CONSUMPTION (E.G., USE OF ALCOHOL TO CELEBRATE A SPECIAL EVENT) WITH DEVIANT BEHAVIOR OR COMMUNICATIONS DEFICIENCIES AND TO EXAGGERATE ALCOHOL EFFECTS, WHICH IS BOUND TO ENCOURAGE ADOLESCENT EXPERIMENTATION. ALTERNATIVES TO DRUG CONSUMPTION AND SITUATIONS CONDUCIVE TO DRINKING ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY DEFINED. FURTHERMORE, LOWER CLASS DRUG BEHAVIOR PREDOMINATES IN THE PRESENTED NEGATIVE IMAGES OF ABUSE, AND INFORMATION IS OFTEN OUTDATED. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED PROGRAMS INCLUDE CLEAR DEFINITION OF GENERAL AND SPECIFIC GOALS, PROPOSALS FOR ALTERNATIVE BEHAVIOR, USE OF TEACHING TECHNIQUES WHICH CONSIDER RESEARCH RESULTS. CLASSES SHOULD BE TAILORED TO PARTICULAR STUDENT GROUPS WITH APPROPRIATE INTERPRETATIONS OF DATA, AND PLANNED PROGRAM EVALUATION. A TABLE AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN (KMD)