NCJ Number
143429
Journal
Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 37 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1991) Pages: 53-57
Date Published
1991
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Literature gathered using computer searches of various databases was analyzed to determine the impact of parent training and practices on their children's patterns of alcohol and drug abuse.
Abstract
The available research stresses that school failure is one of the most consistent factors characterizing adolescents who are likely to engage in substance abuse. Although it is not clear that parental social class contributes to substance abuse or school failure, there are a number of factors associated with social class that have been implicated as risk factors in both phenomena. Several studies found evidence that the same factors that underlie the poorer performance of students from lower socioeconomic status families may also account for a portion of the variance between students who are not at risk for substance abuse and students who are at risk. Some preventive strategies and policy recommendations for communities and agencies emerged from this literature review: provide contingent and consistent parent training, enhance the cultural capital of parents of at-risk children, develop parent support groups and parent networking, increase and foster child involvement in extracurricular activities, hire and train members from neighborhoods with high levels of substance abuse to staff programs, stabilize neighborhoods with large numbers of at-risk children by helping residents remain in the community, and provide transportation to and from all substance abuse prevention activities. 33 references