In this investigation an attempt was firstly made to define, describe and explicate the phenomenon of substance abuse among the youth, providing a basis for understanding the multidimensional nature of adolescent substance abuse, in terms of its etiology and consequences. Secondly, the development, risk and consequences of adolescent substance use and abuse were investigated after which different components of substance abuse prevention among adolescents was studied. Hereafter, the researcher presented a self-developed substance abuse prevention programme for early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal (i.e. Project Skills Development) followed by all the empirical research findings, a general summary, conclusions and recommendations. Two research questions as well as a hypothesis and three sub-hypotheses were formulated for the study. The research questions included: (a) what is the nature and prevalence of substance abuse among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal? and (b) what is the state of existing substance abuse prevention programmes for early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal? Accordingly, the hypothesis of the study read: If early adolescents undergo a school based substance abuse prevention programme then their attitudes, knowledge and skills towards substance abuse will be influenced in a positive way. From this, three sub-hypotheses was worded: (a) If early adolescents undergo a school based substance abuse prevention programme then their attitudes towards substances and substance users, will be influenced in a positive way, (b) if early adolescents undergo a school based substance abuse prevention programme then their substance specific knowledge will increase, and (c) if early adolescents undergo a school based substance abuse prevention programme then their personal and social skills will be enhanced. The selected research approach for the study was the combined quantitative-qualitative approach and the type of research, identified as Intervention Design and Development. An exploratory and descriptive research design were selected to reach the first three objectives of the study, namely: (a) To conduct the investigation within a theoretically founded reference frame by undertaking a relevant literature study of the phenomenon of substance abuse, substance abuse among early adolescents and substance abuse prevention among the youth. (p> (b) To identify the nature and prevalence of substance abuse as a problematic human condition among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal. (c) To undertake a critical review of the state of existing substance abuse prevention programmes for early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal. The researcher also applied the comparison group pretest-posttest design (i.e. a quasi-experimental/associative design) with respondents to reach the last three objectives of the study, namely: (a) To develop a substance abuse prevention programme among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal. (b) To implement the substance abuse prevention programme among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal. (c) To evaluate the substance abuse prevention programme among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal with a view to recommend further utilisation in practice. Empirical research findings based on the nature and prevalence of substance abuse among early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal confirmed that alcohol was still the most popular legal drug among the youth in KwaZulu Natal with cannabis the most popular illegal substance. Herewith, empirical findings based on the review of the state of existing substance abuse prevention programmes for early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal suggested that two substance abuse prevention programmes, namely Life orientation (Curriculum 2005) and Teenagers Against Drug Abuse (TADA) programme from SANCA seem to be more effective on preventing adolescent substance abuse than the DAP (Drug Abuse Prevention programme) of the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development or Community Education programme by the South African Narcotics Bureau (SANAB). Other Social Welfare Non-Governmental Organisations in KwaZulu Natal (e.g. Durban Children Society, “Natal Christelike Vroue Vereniging” and “Christelik-Maatskaplike Diens”) do not render any substance abuse prevention services to the youth as this is seen as a core function of SANCA. The evaluation of the self developed substance abuse prevention programme for early adolescents in KwaZulu Natal, i.e. Project Skills Development was done by means of a self-constructed group-administered questionnaire in the pre-test i.e. before implementation of Project Skills Development, and post-test with both the experimental (25 respondents) and comparison group (25 respondents). The sample thus included a total of 50 early adolescents and the empirical data was collected to include 2 measurements, once before and once after the intervention (Project Skills Development). Empirical findings confirmed that there was a statistical significant difference in the experimental groups (a) attitudes to drugs and drug users, and (b) drug knowledge, with a 95% chance that the results were due to Project Skills Development and not to chance. There is not a statistical significant difference in the experimental groups’ personal and social skills after exposure to Project Skills Development even though a positive movement (i.e. in the development of assertiveness skills) did occur among the respondents. The 1st two of the three sub-hypotheses is thus confirmed with a positive movement identified in the 3rd hypothesis. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Families are often confronted with some type of crisis during their family life cycle, and the presence of an adolescent substance abuser in the family could result in a family crisis. Most studies focus on the negative implications of substance abuse (Flisher, Parry, Evans, Muller, & Lombard, 2003; Parry et al., 2004). More recently, however, researchers have begun to move away from the pathogenic approach to a more strengths-based approach. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate which factors are associated with family resilience in families with an adolescent substance abuser. Given the complexity of resilience, the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1988) was operationalised in this study to identify which variables could be associated with family resilience. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather data from a convenience sample of 50 families drawn from the Western Cape, South Africa. In order to control for gender effects, mothers who had in their families an adolescent substance abuser were encouraged to represent their respective families. A biographical questionnaire and seven quantitative self-report questionnaires were completed by each participant. Pearson product-moment correlations were calculated for the quantitative data in order to determine which independent variables (family factors) were associated with the dependent variable (family adaptation). A best-subsets multiple regression analysis was done to determine the linear combination of family characteristics (indicators) that correlates maximally with family adaptation (outcome variable). Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns or themes within the qualitative data during the qualitative data analysis. The results indicate that the level of family adaptation is better the higher the supportive patterns of communication in the family unit; and that the level of family adaptation is lower the more negative communication patterns are present. The results also indicate that family hardiness, the degree to which families use problem-solving and behaviour strategies during crises, and the use and maintenance of different routines and activities facilitate family adaptation. The qualitative results indicate that spirituality or religion, support from extended family, friends or neighbours, clear positive family communication, maintaining hope and a positive outlook, and the acceptance of the adolescent as part of the family contribute the most to family adaptation. The findings of this study could be used to improve the understanding of qualities that help families to adapt, and interventions and services based on these results may provide a meaningful contribution in the adaptation of families who find themselves in similar situations. This study not only is important to broaden the current literature on family resilience in this development phase, but also to help fill the void in current research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit gebeur gereeld dat gesinne gedurende een of ander ontwikkelingstadium met ʼn krisis gekonfronteer word. So sal die teenwoordigheid van ’n adolessente middelmisbruiker in ’n gesin op moontlike gesinskrisisse dui. Die meerderheid studies fokus op die negatiewe implikasies van middelmisbruik (Flisher, Parry, Evans, Muller, & Lombard, 2003; Parry et al., 2004). Navorsers het egter onlangs begin weg beweeg vanaf die patogeniese benadering na ’n meer sterkte-gebaseerde benadering. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om ondersoek in te stel na faktore wat geassosieer kan word met gesinsaanpassing in gesinne met ʼn adolessente middelmisbruiker. Gegee die kompleksiteit van veerkragtigheid is die Veerkragtigheidsmodel van Gesinstres, Verstelling en Aanpassing (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1988) in hierdie studie geoperasionaliseer om veranderlikes te identifiseer wat met gesinsveerkragtigheid geassosieer kan word. ʼn Kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metodes is gebruik om data vanuit ’n doelgerigte steekproef van 50 gesinne woonagtig in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika in te samel. Om vir die effek van geslag te kontroleer, is ma’s aangemoedig om namens die gesinne as verteenwoordigers aan die studie deel te neem. ʼn Biografiese vraelys en ook sewe selfbeskrywingsvraelyste is deur elke deelnemer voltooi. Vir die kwantitatiewe data is Pearson produkmoment-korrelasies bereken om te bepaal watter onafhanklike veranderlikes (gesinsfaktore) met die afhanklike veranderlike (gesinsaanpassing) verband hou. ʼn Beste substel regressieontleding is gedoen om die liniêre kombinasie van gesinskenmerke (voorspellers) wat maksimaal met gesinsaanpassing (uitkomsveranderlike) korreleer, te bepaal. Tematiese ontleding is in die kwalitatiewe data-ontleding gebruik om patrone of temas binne die kwalitatiewe data te identifiseer. Die resultate dui daarop dat die vlak van gesinsaanpassing beter is hoe hoër die ondersteunende patrone van kommunikasie in die gesinseenheid is; en dat die vlak van gesinsaanpassing laer is hoe meer opruiende patrone van kommunikasie in die gesin teenwoordig is. Verder dui die resultate ook aan dat gesinsgehardheid, die mate van probleemoplossings- en gedragstrategieë wat die gesin gedurende krisisse gebruik, en die gebruik en handhawing van verskillende roetines en aktiwiteite ook gesinsaanpassing fasiliteer. Die kwalitatiewe resultate dui daarop dat spiritualiteit of geloof, ondersteuning van die uitgebreide familie, vriende of bure, duidelike positiewe gesinskommunikasie, die behoud van hoop en ’n positiewe uitkyk, en aanvaarding van die adolessent as deel van die gesin die meeste tot gesinsaanpassing bygedra het. Die bevindinge kan nuttig gebruik word om begrip te verbeter van kwaliteite wat gesinne help om aan te pas. Intervensies en dienste wat op hierdie bevindinge gebaseer is, behoort ʼn betekenisvolle bydra te lewer in die aanpassing van gesinne wat hulle in soortgelyke omstandighede bevind. Die studie is nie net belangrik om die kennisbasis oor gesinslewe in hierdie ontwikkelingsfase te verbreed nie, maar ook om ʼn leemte in bestaande navorsing aan te vul.