M.Ed. / Drug abuse in secondary schools appears to be a major problem. Preliminary discussions with some learners and educators triggered the researcher to attempt making a research on this matter, since enormities of this problem has a negative impact towards the process of teaching and learning. This type of practice affects the behavioural pattern of individuals within educational institutions. For example learners bring their parents’ revolvers to school to harm their classmates, in class they laugh continuously with no apparent reason, they remain behind with their school work, dress indecently, become arrogant, use vulgar language, rape girls, become disorderly, provoke other learners and start unnecessary fights. The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate whether principals, educators, parents have the necessary knowledge and skills on how to detect the learner as being a drug abuser, how intervention takes place. Further, the research study also tries to determine whether the personnel and Learner Representative Council do check on the food that the vendors are selling to ascertain whether they don’t contain any harmful substances, that can cause a barrier in the learner’s mentality, of which at the end can encourage the learner to turn to crime as a means to survival. Data was collected through a number of methods. Various community members of educational institutions like, principals parents, educators learners and the Gauteng Department of Educators official member, dealing with drugs were interviewed to inquire about their perceptions, feelings and opinions as far as it concerned about intervention strategies for drug abuse in secondary schools. What they recommend should be done to facilitate change on causes of abusing drugs by learners, which strategies to be employed to curb this problem within secondary schools. A thorough literature review was made to determine what other researchers discovered on the same phenomena. Feelings, perceptions and opinions were read throughout the interviews. The participants proved to have a minimal knowledge about the practices of drugs within their schools and the society. By means of particular programmes designed by the school and the society, they can be empowered to open up, in order to provide assistance to the troubled children. / Prof. J.R. Debeila

盧國輝. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 255-278) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Lu Guohui.

The purpose of this study determined whether use of student random drug testing provided an effective means to reduce drug usage by secondary school students. The participants included 50,214 7th through 12th grade students in 12 selected public schools. All school districts participated in the Texas School Survey of Substance Use in 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000. The six districts in the experimental group used drug testing as a method of reducing drug usage among students. The six districts in the control group did not use drug testing. Although athletes and students involved in extracurricular activities remain the focus of random dug testing, this research focused on an entire school population to determine whether drug testing only a select group of students reduced reported drug usage in the entire school. Two questions guided the research: First, does the use of random drug testing have an impact on student drug usage? Second, does the year of implementation of random drug testing have an impact on students' self-reported drug usage? The findings for each research question were categorized according to nine illegal drugs. The researcher used a one-way repeated measures factorial design. The data were analyzed via the univariate (split-plot) 2 x 4 analysis of variance (ANOVA), with the data from four periodic surveys (1994, 1996, 1998, & 2000) as a within-subject factor and the treatment group (participation in drug testing or control/no drug testing) as a between-subjects factor. The results of the study showed there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental group of school districts that used random drug testing and the control group of school districts that did not use random drug testing. In addition, the study showed there was no statistically significant difference in drug usage between the students in districts who began random drug testing in different years (i.e. 1994, 1996, 1998, & 2000).

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

This study addressed the incidence of drug use by freshmen at Siuslaw High School in Florence, Oregon, and sought their opinions about effective drug and alcohol prevention programs. The purpose was to provide basic data which would ultimately assist in specific drug and alcohol programs for this population. In phase one, 83 students from four of seven freshmen Health Education randomly selected classes were given the Washington State Survey of Adolescent Health Behavior. This survey consisted of 81 questions about student demographics, students' drug use, and their opinions of drug prevention programs. During phase two, the students were asked open-ended questions about their suggestions for more effective drug prevention programs and curriculum. The survey revealed an average amount of drug use and that the students did not think the drug prevention program at Siuslaw was working. The survey also revealed that teenagers are influenced to drink and use drugs by the media, their friends, and by a lack of activities offered by the community. The study conclusions showed that Florence does have teenage drug use and the community should consider a variety of approaches. Data suggest that more youth support groups, more affordable counseling, and more recreational activities may help reduce drug use. The school needs to develop a more comprehensive drug prevention curriculum and implement it at the younger grade levels. The school combined with the community, should offer more drug-free alternatives and target those youths who are not using drugs and promote their positive behavior. / Graduation date: 1995

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a drug testing program could impact or change student drug use at the secondary education level. Secondary purposes were to 1) assess the perceptions of secondary education students toward licit and illicit drugs, drug use, and the newly implemented drug testing program, and 2) to examine why drug use may continue even after a drug testing program has been implemented. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires, discussion groups, and one-on-one interviews. Examination of the questionnaire data indicated that student drug use was not substantially deterred by the newly implemented drug testing program over a three to four month time period. Also, students' perceptions of the newly implemented drug testing program were mainly that of disagreement. Students commented that they felt the drug testing policy was implemented to "catch them" using drugs rather than "help them" with a possible drug addiction. One of the main reasons that the drug testing program did not have a great deterrent effect on student drug use, as suggested by the students, was that the odds were not high enough that they would be selected to be drug tested. In some instances, drug testing was not proving to be a deterrent to drug use, but rather a deterrent to participation in school activities. However, for some students, drug testing was proving to be a deterrent to drug use. As quoted from one of the discussion group members: "It's a step in the right direction." / School of Physical Education

Text in English / The purpose of this qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual study is to explore and describe the perception of secondary school learners regarding the use of illicit drugs and to propose recommendations to caregivers and school teachers that could help curb illicit drugs use. Purposive sampling was used to identify twelve secondary school learners who participated in this study. Data were collected through in-depth individual face-to-face interviews, drawings and field notes. Data analysis was done using Tesch’s descriptive method of open coding. The findings revealed that a combination of factors such as vulnerability, physical changes, psychological challenges and social challenges experienced by secondary school learners in Windhoek, Namibia, lead to illicit drugs use. The participants identified the different strategies they employed to recapture their lives from using illicit drugs and recommendations were made to caregivers and teachers on how to address these factors. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)