Adolescent alcohol abuse increases across the adolescent years. If left unchecked, alcohol abuse can give rise to delinquency, poor grades, and risky sexual behavior (Stueve & O’Donnell, 2005; Ellickson, Tucker, & Klein, 2003). Past research suggests that minimal parental oversight increases the risk for adolescent alcohol abuse. There is also evidence, however, that parents withdraw from oversight in the face of adolescent problem behaviors (Barber & Olsen, 1997; Hafen & Laursen, 2009). Each may vary according to the child’s physical development. Parents may respond to pubertal maturation with reduced supervision and early maturing girls may be sensitive to parent supervision because of the additional pressures and attention they receive from older, possibly deviant, peers (Stattin, Kerr, & Skoog, 2011). / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The way in which adolescents perceive themselves and interact with peers, teachers and caregivers could determine whether they would drink alcohol and smoke dagga or not. Without positive self-concept amongst adolescents and experiencing of positive communication with caregivers, it can be said, there is a likelihood of drinking alcohol and smoking of dagga by adolescents. A 52-item questionnaire was constructed on the basis of current international and South African research on the adolescents who drink alcohol and smoke dagga. The biographical data was used as independent variables in the questionnaire. These independent variables included questions on age, gender, grade and the person who takes care of adolescent. The questionnaire was completed by 443 adolescents in grade 9 and 11 from one secondary school in Soweto. Of this total, 48,1% were males (N=213) and 51,9% were females (N=230). A factor analysis of the questionnaire revealed two statistically significant constructs and they were termed “Experience of locus of control with respect to school” (Chronbach alpha of 0.900) and “Experience of communication with caregivers by adolescents (0.892). With respect to the bivariate analysis of the relationships between (1)the gender of adolescents (2)the age of adolescents and who is the caregiver to the adolescent and the (1)drinking of alcohol and the (2)smoking of dagga, the following was found: • adolescents who lived with stepparents are more inclined to drink alcohol than adolescents who lived with both mother and father, single parents and other. • a significantly higher proportion of males drink alcohol man females who drink alcohol. • a significantly higher proportion of older adolescents (17 years, 18 years and older) drink alcohol than younger adolescents (16 years, 15 years and younger). The impact of this research would indicate that adolescents with negative self-concept about themselves display a significantly greater inclination towards drinking alcohol and smoking of dagga. Also, adolescents who live with stepparents display a significantly more negative experience of drinking alcohol and smoking of dagga than adolescents who live with both mother and father, single parents and other. / Prof. C.P.H Myburgh

Alcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack an empirical basis and have been unable to demonstrate significant reductions in alcohol use over time. The need for the development and dissemination of effective strategies to address adolescent drinking is evident. Recommendations for newly developing approaches encourage an emphasis on empiricallybased content and easily implemented protocols. Expectancy challenge-based interventions have been identified by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as having strong evidence supporting their effectiveness in reducing alcohol use among college students. Recent efforts to translate such programs into forms effective with high school adolescents have been met with mixed results. The focus of the present study was to modify, implement and evaluate the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), a program currently validated for use with college populations, for high school adolescents. The single session, high school version of the ECALC was infused into the existing Health Education high school curriculum and implemented with those in the 9th through 12th grades. Measures of alcohol expectancies and alcohol use were completed anonymously by each participant before delivery of the program and for 30 days thereafter. Impact of the ECALC was compared to classes randomly assigned to an attention-matched control condition. Findings revealed significant changes in alcohol expectancies and alcohol use reported by participants in the 11th and 12th grades following iv delivery of the ECALC. Changes were found across factor analytic and multidimensional scaling (MDS) statistical methods applied to the expectancy measure, as well as across measures of estimated intoxication and drinking quantity/frequency. Findings were consistent among both male and female participants. Reductions in alcohol use were not found among 9th and 10th grade participants, and expectancy changes were inconsistent. The assessment periods for baseline and follow-up were thirty days, which may reflect a limitation in that a longer follow-up may be more likely to capture significant behavioral changes over time. This study was the first to apply both factor analytic and MDS methods to analysis of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire, with clear implications for expectancy measurement techniques likely to be most appropriate for capturing changes in expectancy activation patterns over time. Overall, this study represents an important advance in the development of an empirically-based and validated alcohol use prevention program effective for use with adolescents. In addition, the ECALC serves as a prevention program that is easily implemented in the high school setting, requiring only 50 minutes of class time, a classroom, and a motivated educator.

Effective school-based alcohol prevention programs do exist. However, the overall efficacy of these programs has been compromised by implementation failure and a focus on abstinence based outcomes. The current thesis attempted to overcome such concerns by developing a computer-delivered school-based alcohol prevention program founded on a harm-minimisation approach. The aims of this thesis were to assess whether (1) this program would be both a feasible and acceptable means of overcoming the obstacles encountered in the implementation of school-based drug prevention programs, and (2) it was effective in decreasing alcohol misuse and related harm. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was developed in collaboration with teachers, students and relevant health and legal professionals. The final curriculum based program consists of six lessons, each with two components. The first component involves students completing an interactive computer-based program, with the second consisting of a variety of individual, small group and class-based activities. The feasibility and efficacy of CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was assessed utilising a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 1434, Year 8 students (13 years old) from sixteen schools. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was found to be both feasible and acceptable in the school setting. The provision of alcohol prevention information in the background of a computerised teenage drama provided young people with an education program they enjoyed in a context to which they could relate. Teachers reported a willingness to implement CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module in routine practice. They believed it to be a high quality program which was superior to other drug education programs. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module led to significant increases in knowledge of harm minimisation skills and subdued alcohol related expectancies. It was effective in reducing alcohol use, misuse and related harms for females, but not for males. The differential effects of gender are extensively discussed and implications for future research considered. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was clearly both feasible and acceptable and has the potential to offer an innovative new platform for the delivery of prevention programs in schools.

Effective school-based alcohol prevention programs do exist. However, the overall efficacy of these programs has been compromised by implementation failure and a focus on abstinence based outcomes. The current thesis attempted to overcome such concerns by developing a computer-delivered school-based alcohol prevention program founded on a harm-minimisation approach. The aims of this thesis were to assess whether (1) this program would be both a feasible and acceptable means of overcoming the obstacles encountered in the implementation of school-based drug prevention programs, and (2) it was effective in decreasing alcohol misuse and related harm. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was developed in collaboration with teachers, students and relevant health and legal professionals. The final curriculum based program consists of six lessons, each with two components. The first component involves students completing an interactive computer-based program, with the second consisting of a variety of individual, small group and class-based activities. The feasibility and efficacy of CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was assessed utilising a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 1434, Year 8 students (13 years old) from sixteen schools. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was found to be both feasible and acceptable in the school setting. The provision of alcohol prevention information in the background of a computerised teenage drama provided young people with an education program they enjoyed in a context to which they could relate. Teachers reported a willingness to implement CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module in routine practice. They believed it to be a high quality program which was superior to other drug education programs. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module led to significant increases in knowledge of harm minimisation skills and subdued alcohol related expectancies. It was effective in reducing alcohol use, misuse and related harms for females, but not for males. The differential effects of gender are extensively discussed and implications for future research considered. CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module was clearly both feasible and acceptable and has the potential to offer an innovative new platform for the delivery of prevention programs in schools.

Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)

Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)