- A metaphor for passage through the teen years
- Marvin Krank
How can we help youth get through these perilous times Mixed messages Project on Adolescent Trajectories and Health (PATH): social context, cognition, risk-taking behaviour, and health outcomes - Three-year longitudinal study
- Funded by the SSHRC and CIHR
- Partnership with SD#23
Overview of theoretical approach - Social factors modify cognitions about risky behaviors
- Cognitions affect transitions to risk-taking behavior
- Risk-taking behaviors impact on health outcomes
- Drug and alcohol use begin in the early teens
- Many smokers begin before age 14
- Risky choices have long-term consequences for youth
- early pregnancy
- accidents
- unhealthy lifestyles
- lost opportunities
Grades 7-10 are a time of significant transitions in drug and alcohol use A small, but significant percentage of these youth used drugs and alcohol in the past week High risk behaviours tend to co-exist - Drug and alcohol use, early and unsafe sexual activity, and violence tend to co-occur
- For example, heavier drug and alcohol use is linked to being both a victim and a perpetrator of sexual assault.
Drug and alcohol use are highly correlated Are aboriginal youth at greater risk? - Nine out of twelve comparison measures show higher levels of use
- May mask levels of use as we have a lower level of participation and higher drop out rate (50% versus 20%)
- School drop outs have much higher levels of use!
Culturally Specific Risk Factors - Ethnic Dislocation (May, 1982; Oetting, Beauvais &Velarde, 1982; Trimble Padilla, & Bell, 1987)
- Acculturation Stress (LaFromboise, 1988)
- Alienation from the Larger Culture (Moncher et al., 1990)
- Unstructured time on reservations, during which drinking is also a response to boredom (Edwards & Edwards, 1988)
Why we should care Adolescent risk is based on what they do - Unsafe sex in youth leads to teen pregnancy, low birth weight babies, and STDs including HIV
- Drug and alcohol use increase unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death in youth
Early and heavy alcohol use is correlated with many negative outcomes - Health
- Aches and pains
- Accidents
- Hospitalization
- Violence
- Victim
- Perpetrator
- Various kinds
- Sex
- Early sex
- Regretted sex
- Sexual assault
- Problem behaviours
- Skipped school
- Stayed out all night without parent permission
- Damaged property
- Warned or detained by police
- School detention
- Stole something outside of home
- Stole at home
- Suspended out of school
- Suspended in school
- Ran away from home
- Carrying weapons
Modern Risk Prevention Programs - Deal with social and cultural influences
- Encourage alternative activities
- Correct misconceptions about drug and alcohol use
Contemporary Evidence-based Methods - Less confrontational
- Motivate change
- Meet individuals where they are
- Age and Stage appropriate
- Culturally responsive
- Can be brief interventions
- Seattle Indian Health Board Journeys of the Circle University of Washington
- Journeys of the Circle Addictive Behaviors Research Center Journeys of the Circle
Canoe Journey, Life’s Journey - Development of Culturally Relevant Life Skills Manual
- Canoe Journey as a metaphor for life’s journey
- Use of other traditionally Native symbols, particularly the Medicine Wheel
- Medicine Wheel generally understood to have similar meaning across tribal boundaries
Conclusion - The real war on drugs is the battle for the hearts and minds of our youth
- We don’t want to prevent them from taking the journey, but we do want them prepared for challenges along the way.
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