The purpose of this research project was to explore the family structural variables of cohesion and adaptability as well as extracurricular activities, peer influences, and personal attitudes as they were manifested in adolescents classified as nonusers, users, and/or abusers of alcohol/drugs. Two hundred and thirty-seven adolescents responded to written questionnaires including the Alcohol and Drug Use Index, a reduced form of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES III), the Student Attitude and Behavior Questionnaire, and a Demographic Questionnaire. Information was obtained on age and grade level, gender and ethnicity, parental characteristics, and student's educational aspirations in an effort to identify factors associated with teenage alcohol/drug use. Some of the major findings suggested that the users/abusers groups reported less involvement with their families, educational pursuits, and extracurricular activities when compared to their nondrug using counterparts. The statistical analysis also confirmed some aspects of structural family therapy theory and refuted other aspects. The results of this study were also compared to prior research on adolescent substance use. These results further expanded the understanding of factors associated with adolescent use/abuse of alcohol/drugs. / Ph. D.

published_or_final_version / Social Service Management / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The purpose of this study is four-fold: (1) to test delinquency theories in social settings that vary by their degree of religiousness; (2) to determine whether delinquency causal processes vary according to the nature of religious ecology; (3) to assess whether variation exists in the rates and types of adolescent offenses committed in these settings; and (4) whether these offenses are a response to unique influences in each context. Religious ecology is measured by tapping a dimension of school religious characteristics, including a school's level of religiousness and a school's religious group composition. Adolescent boys who are exposed to the confines of schools that are predominantly irreligious or disproportionately low in orthodoxy are significantly more likely to engage in delinquency than boys from more moral or highly orthodox schools. Experiences in fundamentalist reference groups also protects youngsters against engaging in substance use episodes, including harmful drugs such as cocaine. These patterns are independent of demographic characteristics such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, family size and community size. To account for religious ecological differences in problem behavior, strain and control theories of delinquency are tested. These testing procedures reveal little support for processes advocated by strain theorists. Not only is structural and interactionist induced strain not correlated with delinquency and substance use, but discrepancies between cultural expectations and perceived realization of these goals do not lead to psychosocial frustration and tension, as implied in many strain models. Control models more aptly account for delinquency and substance use variation in various religious climates, but the strength of religious, school, and family effects varies with the type of offense and the measure of religious ecology. If we measure religious ecology by the nature of denominational composition, religiosity has a uniform effect on delinquency. However, religiosity's effect in settings that vary by religious level is to more strongly inhibit chronic offending in secular disorganized communities. Involvement in delinquency and substance use is probabilistically less likely in moral and highly orthodox settings because religion's social expression is stronger, the broken home phenomenon is weaker and potentially harmful school behaviors and attitudes are unrelated to delinquency in these settings.

No description available.

When adolescents enter residential treatment for difficulties experienced at school, with the juvenile justice system and/or their parent(s)r substance abuse is often not identified as a significant contributor to the presenting problem. However, the dynamics of adolescent substance abuse are described in the literature as interactive processes affected by family dysfunctions, inadequately learned coping skills and significant stressors. In this study, a treatment strategy was developed for families of adolescents in a residential treatment center setting, where adolescents, along with other identified problems were also determined to be actively abusing drugs and or alcohol. The treatment strategies focused on alcohol/drug abuse as a primary problem, and on relapse prevention through psycho education, family therapy and contingency contracting. Twelve adolescents and their families participated in the treatment program. A one year follow up was conducted. This thesis reports on four of these families indepth through the use of case studies. Comparisons and conclusions were drawn from the case studies which demonstrate that the treatment model is an effective auxiliary modality for use with substance abusing adolescents and their families. / Master of Science

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

MPH / Dpartment of Public Health

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / The aim of the study was to explore the impact of nyaope among the youth in the rural communities of Thulamela Municipality. The study adopted qualitative approach and exploratory research design. Population of the study were from Itsani, Maniini and Muledane villages in Thulamela municipality, both males and females, 18-31 and who were involved in the use of nyaope. Non-probability purposive and snowball sampling methods were adopted because participants who use nyaope are hard to locate. The total number of participants (8) who formed part of the study was determined by data saturation. Semi-structured interviews were used as a method of data collection. To ensure trustworthiness, pre-testing of the instrument was conducted to identify any potential problems. Credibility, transferability and conformability was well considered. Thematic data analysis was employed since the researcher was more involved in interpretation of collected data, thematic analysis enabled the researcher to capture complex meaning.

MPH / Department of Public Health / The abuse of substances among the youth is a global health problem which has a negative impact on their health and wellbeing, families, educational and professional life, as well as communities and limits their hopes and dreams. An estimated 246 million persons globally (about one out of twenty people) between 15 and 64 years have abused substances in the past three years. The global drug problem has increased to such an extent that more than 1 out of 10 drug abusers is affected by either disorder or drug dependence. The aim of the study was to explore the factors contributing to substance abuse among the youth in Atteridgeville, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The study was conducted in Atteridgeville community. Atteridgeville is a portion of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, west of Pretoria in South Africa. The design was qualitative in nature, using exploratory design. The researcher purposively chose the participants from the target population. The population and sampling method was on participants aged between 15 and 35 years, with substance abuse problem, who were referred to Atteridgeville Medical Health Centre for counselling. The researcher used a semi-structured interview guide for gathering data. In-depth interview was used to collect data. A proposed total of number of 20 participants was suggested, and it was guided by data saturation. Data was analysed by using thematic content analysis. A measure of trustworthiness was ensured. Ethical consideration was observed in this study. The findings states that substance abuse problem was identified and certainly noticed by everyone in the community. New drugs remain unchallenged, drug dealers are known, yet, not a single law enforcement institution attempt to raid their houses to search and arrest them. Community involvement is not enough to end the scourge of substance abuse problems in the community. Some police officers were identified and known to be part of drug dealings or have family relatives who are drug dealers. The researcher therefore recommends that parents should be involved in the community forums to deal with substance abuse problems. The community policing and law enforcement should be equipped by developing a tactical team specifically looking at the drug problems in the local communities. In conclusion, the research revealed that, South African citizens are people who see a problem happening but lacks to implement strategies to deal it immediately. / NRF

by Eric So Hon Kei. / Questionnarie in Chinese. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-66). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vi / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.vii / CHAPTER / Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.1 / Recent Condition of Adolescent Substance Use in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Contemporary Theories of Adolescent Substance Use --- p.2 / Temperament --- p.5 / Coping --- p.8 / Cognitive Motivations for Substance Use --- p.9 / General Deviance and Substance Use --- p.10 / Objectives of Present Study --- p.12 / Chapter 2 --- METHOD --- p.15 / Participants --- p.15 / Measures --- p.21 / Procedure --- p.25 / Chapter 3 --- RESULTS --- p.26 / Data Reduction: Factor Analysis of Negative Cognitive Motivation Scale --- p.26 / Internal Consistency of Measures --- p.26 / Comparison of Substance Use Variables --- p.29 / "Comparison of Temperament, BIS/BAS, Coping and Cognitive Motivation Measures" --- p.31 / Test of Bias in Cognitive Motivation Measures --- p.35 / Predicting Degree of Heroin Use in the Heroin User Inmates --- p.38 / Chapter 4 --- DISCUSSION --- p.48 / Cognitive Motivations for Substance Use --- p.48 / Bias in Cognitive Motivations for Substance Use --- p.50 / Temperament and Ways of Coping of Heroin and Non-heroin User Inmates --- p.52 / Prediction of Degree of Heroin Use --- p.56 / Implication for Substance Use Intervention --- p.58 / Limitations --- p.59 / Summary --- p.61 / REFERENCES --- p.63 / APPENDIX --- p.67