Evaluation of the impact of the Webster‐Stratton Parent‐Child Videotape Series on participants in a Midlands town in 2001–2002

Small groups of parents experiencing problems in managing the behaviour of young children took part in parenting programmes in a Midlands city in 2001–2002 based on the Webster Stratton Parent‐Child Videotape Series. Programmes were evaluated using standardised measures and qualitative data. Most participants who completed the programme (N = 29) in this small scale study had improved scores on all measures. The largest (positive) effects were in reductions in mean total parenting stress levels. Qualitative data confirmed high participant ratings for the facilitators and appreciation for group support; and indicated that partners' views were an important variable. Further research is needed about programme impact on non‐completers (including fathers and minority ethnic participants) and about the influence of non‐participating partners.     

Exploring the Potential of Shadow Controls in the Evaluation of Children’s Services

This article describes and presents a framework for an under‐used evaluation technique in the context of an evaluation of a programme for disaffected young people. Shadow controls—the use of expert judgement to estimate the success of a programme—are often dismissed in research design as an unreliable form of comparison, but can be useful in situations where there is limited scope for a control group or to enhance the causal inference attributable to non‐experimental evaluations. The exercise described uses a practice tool as a structure for making predictions about the situations of the young people on the programme, assuming they do not receive an intervention. These predictions (shadow controls) are then compared to outcome data for the young people at the end of the programme. The results of the exercise provide some important messages about the programme’s effectiveness and the potential for strengthening non‐experimental evaluation methods. The article also discusses how the method can usefully inform evaluations of social programmes and encourage agency and user collaboration.     

Participation or practice innovation: tensions in inter‐agency working to address disciplinary exclusion from school

This paper explores dilemmas and tensions between two models of school based inter‐agency meetings to prevent disciplinary exclusion from school. The first model is characterised by innovative practice developed through long established professional relationships and addresses both individual and strategic issues in supporting young people who are at risk of disciplinary exclusion from school. The second model strongly emphasises the right to participation of young people and their families in school based inter‐agency meetings. Research participants in three Scottish councils (parents, pupils, teachers and other professionals 1 ) had identified school based inter‐agency meetings as key to the process of inter‐agency working to prevent school exclusion.     

Developing our understanding of young people and drugs

SUMMARY. Many youngsters use drugs illicitly or illegally. They can therefore no longer be considered part of a small minority of delinquents. Still larger numbers of young people use alcohol or tobacco. However, most young people have not used drugs illegally and most have a negative attitude towards drug use. The author thus argues for more involvement of young people in prevention schemes, as they are more likely to be listened to by the target audience The article goes on to argue for variety in service provision in response to the changing nature of drug use and drug users. A. careful eclecticism should lead to co-operation between services, availability of alternatives to drug use and the involvement of the wider community     

Gambling and the family: From the stress‐coping‐support Perspective 1

Abstract

Aims: To apply the stress‐coping‐support perspective to the study of the effects of problem gambling in the family. Specifically, to examine the ways in which family members cope and the nature and sources of support they receive. To compare coping strategies of family members of gamblers with those of individuals living with other addictive behaviour in the family. Design: Cross‐sectional interview and questionnaire study of close relatives of problem gamblers. Participants: Sixteen close family members of gamblers from separate families, mainly parents and partners. Data: Semi‐structured interview; adapted version of the Coping Questionnaire (CQ). Findings: Data from the CQ and qualitative analysis of interview data suggested considerable use of ‘engaged’ (specifically controlling) ways of attempting to cope with such problems, comparable to the use of such strategies by relatives of people with alcohol or drug problems, but little use of ‘tolerant‐accepting’ and ‘withdrawal’ ways. Interview data on the support received (or not) by family members confirmed previous research showing that relatives of people with addiction problems often feel unsupported, but particularly appreciate positive emotional and practical support for themselves and their problem gambling relatives. Conclusions: The stress‐coping‐support perspective, previously applied to families with alcohol and drug problems, also offers an appropriate framework for understanding problem gambling and the family.     

Just for fun? Alcohol and drugs in youth lifestyles: a survey

The article presents an analysis of the relationship between young people and alcohol and drug use, examining both their attitudes and behaviors. The analysis is based on statistics collected through a structured-questionnaire survey of 1071 students from the secondary schools of Rome and the Province. The first part of the article examines patterns and levels of alcohol and drug use and typical places of use. The central part is dedicated to the perceptions and opinions on alcohol and drugs, with particular regard to the dimensions of risk and sociality, and to the different roles of school and family in raising risk awareness. Sociality appears as a crucial element in young people's tendency to associate alcohol and drugs with an effect of relaxation and disinhibition that makes social relations easier. The article finally examines the relationship between young people and social norms, identifying transgressive models and habits. On the whole, the study highlights a connection between alcohol and drug use and desire of sociality, which is experienced more as a situational and ever-changing practice than as a search for close friendships.     

Age differences in alcohol and cocaine expectancies and attitudes

Positive and negative expectancies regarding the behavioral effects of alcohol and cocaine were assessed and used to predict attitudes toward their use across four age groups (5-7, 8-10, 11-14, and 18-25, N = 121). Regardless of gender and minority status, children and early adolescents appeared to overgeneralize their beliefs about alcohol to a less familiar drug, cocaine, perceiving the effects of the two drugs similarly. Only college students differentiated between drugs, perceiving cocaine as less likely than alcohol to produce drunkenness and more likely to have stimulant and elation/empowerment effects. With age and other expectancies controlled, expectancy of drunkenness was the best predictor of disapproval of alcohol use; attitudes toward cocaine use were unrelated to expectancies but became more negative with age. Drug prevention programs should rest on data regarding children's preexisting beliefs about the consequences of drug use and should help them understand that different drugs (for example, stimulants and depressants) pose different dangers.     

Patterns of Alcohol and Marijuana Use at School

The problem of adolescent substance use has been examined extensively. Beyond simple prevalence estimates, however, little research has been conducted on substance use in the school context. The present investigation was an in‐depth study of students' attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol and marijuana use during the school day. Based on a representative sample of 1123 high school students, this study assessed the frequency of alcohol and marijuana use at school among demographic subgroups, the accessibility of drugs in school, and students' perceived consequences of being caught using drugs in school. The results showed that male and Hispanic students had higher levels of drug use at school than female and white students, respectively; that school drug use increased with age, and that alcohol and marijuana were easily obtained and used on school grounds. A large percentage of students were not aware of the specific actions taken in their schools to punish drug use. The need for additional research on school‐related drug use is emphasized.     

Discovering parental drug dependence: silence and disclosure1

Children of drug dependent parents form a large and growing population at elevated risk of adverse developmental and social outcomes. In this study 36 children and young people described growing up in such families. Parents tried to shield children from exposure, however the majority of young people demonstrated a detailed awareness of their parents' problem with drugs whilst living with the parentally imposed fiction that drugs were not at the heart of their family dynamic. Children and young people are locked into a silence they find difficult to unburden to anyone. The policy imperative is recognition of the impact on children of living daily with parental drug dependence and means of ameliorating their living circumstances in ways that do not label them further.     

Substance Use and Abuse and the Role of Social Workers in Germany

SUMMARY

The paper outlines major trends in consumption patterns of alcohol and other drugs in Germany with special focus on the use of cannabis among young people. It discusses primary prevention efforts and describes the current treatment system with its two branches: one for people with alcohol problems and the other for those with drug problems. It highlights the developing role of social work and identifies the research topics that are influenced by social workers and that will influence the debate regarding the future role of the profession.     

A Pilot Study to Explore the Influence of the ‘Safety First Assessment Intervention’ on the Family Environment

The family environment is considered an important influence on a young person's well‐being. The ‘Safety First Assessment Intervention’ is a model of care that considers and incorporates the importance of family environment when assessing and managing distressed young people. This pilot study explores the influence of the ‘Safety First Assessment Intervention’ on the family environment of young people referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. A pre‐ and post‐design was used, with families completing the Family Survey before and after their assessment/intervention. The Family Survey was correlated with a validated measure of family function, the APGAR, and pre‐intervention. Significant changes in multiple dimensions of family environment, including reduced level of distress for the adult, increased level of distress for the young person, improved sense of how the family felt the adult was managing currently, and improved confidence in family communication were found. There was no significant change in how the adult understood their role in helping the young person manage their distress. A thematic analysis showed trends in the current concerns for young people and adults as well as the difficulty young people in distress have in identifying their strengths. This pilot study demonstrates that the ‘Safety First Assessment Intervention’ can influence the family environment in a positive way and highlights the importance of using a family‐based approach for distressed young people.     

Refusing to Listen: Are We Failing the Needs of People with Alcohol and Drug Problems?

This paper argues that social work education in the UK has persistently failed to equip its social workers with the knowledge to work effectively with people with alcohol and drug problems. In spite of continuing criticism of the profession's unwillingness or inability to engage with substance use issues, social work education has failed to respond to the calls for better training on this subject, even when specific guidance has been issued about course content. This results in a failure to meet the needs of our service users as well as social work staff who remain frustrated at their inability to intervene. The paper explores the historical and current debate about social work training in relation to alcohol and drugs and identifies the barriers to its inclusion in qualifying and post‐qualifying (PQ) curricula. Finally it offers a strategy for improving social work training as well as an overview of programme content requirements.     

Polysubstance use patterns in underground rave attenders: a cluster analysis

Drug use in mainstream rave parties has been widely documented in a large number of studies. However, not much is known about drug use in underground raves. The purpose of this study is to find out the polysubstance use patterns at underground raves. Two hundred and fifty-two young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who went to underground raves were interviewed. They were given a questionnaire to collect information on drug use at raves. Ravers used a mean of 4.9 different drugs at the last rave they had been to. Over 75% of them used tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and amphetamine, and over half also used powder ecstasy. Two differentiated use patterns were found: one pattern concentrated more on the use of stimulants and the other on the use of hallucinogens. Underground ravers have a "standard" sociodemographic profile. The use of drugs is much higher than equivalent age group. Higher drug use prevalence than in mainstream rave parties is also observed. Different patterns of use appear which will be necessary to consider in designing preventions and risk reduction strategies,     

The effects of economic circumstances on British students' mental and physical health

Three-hundred sixty British university students completed a questionnaire providing information on demographic characteristics, financial circumstances, smoking, and drug and alcohol use. A 14-item inventory of physical symptoms, the short form 36 health survey (SF-36), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) were used to assess their physical and psychological well-being. Except for physical functioning, all subscales of the SF-36 and the GHQ indicated levels of health significantly below population norms matched for age and sex. Poorer mental health was related to longer working hours outside the university and difficulty in paying bills. Students who had considered abandoning study for financial reasons had poorer mental health, lower levels of social functioning and vitality, and poorer physical health as indicated by variables on the SF-36. They were also heavier smokers. Students' personal debt was significantly associated with their knowing people involved in prostitution, crime, or drug dealing to help support themselves financially.     

Childhood Family,Ethnicity, and Drug Use Over the Life Course

Using multiply imputed data from 5 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 8,294), we investigated whether childhood family characteristics and childhood religious affiliation explain ethnic differences in marijuana and cocaine use in the last year. None of the childhood factors explained ethnic differences in drug use, though ethnicity and several childhood factors had age‐specific effects. Over the life course from young adulthood to middle age, ethnic differences in drug use changed and the effect of childhood religious affiliation declined. Having a more intellectually rich family in childhood increased the risk of drug use at younger ages but reduced it at older ages. The study demonstrates the significance of childhood family experiences for understanding adult drug use.     

Drug Education in Schools: a Review

Drug use by young people is widespread and increasing. Attempts to prevent or reduce young people's drug use have focused on school-based education. This paper examines some of these strategies. There is wide agreement that providing information about drugs is necessary but insufficient; in addition, young people need to be given the opportunity to examine attitudes about drug use, develop skills in making decisions about use and look at ways to reduce the harms that are associated with their own and others' use of both legal and illegal drugs. Most commentators are also agreed that drug education needs to start early and should take account of what young people already know about drugs. Peer-led approaches are promising but not yet adequately evaluated. Because there are basic differences in philosophies and equivocal research on the effectiveness of drug education there is little consensus on a number of issues.     

Factors associated with the motivation to use psychoactive substances and the motivation to change in adolescents in an authoritarian context

The use of psychoactive substances (alcohol and drugs) by young people placed in rehabilitation centers in Quebec is well documented, but their motivation to use and to change substance use behavior remains unknown. There has been very little research on the details of the change process in adolescents, and even less in adolescents under supervision in rehabilitation centers.The present study aimed to identify the factors that youth associate with their motivation to use psychoactive substances and the factors that they associate with their motivation to change. Twenty-seven young males (age 14–18 years) were interviewed in the Centre jeunesse de Montreal. The majority of the participants were able to identify motivations to use and to change their substance use behavior. The motivations to use differed depending on the type of substance and the surrounding context in which drug use occurs. The motivations to change were associated with substance-related problems and with the perceived effect of external factors (e.g. constraints) on substance use. Finally, neither the motivations to use nor the motivations to change were strongly associated with the closely supervised setting in which the youth found themselves. Thus the controlled environment of the Centre jeunesse appears to have facilitated the change process for some participants and had no impact on others. The implications of these results for substance-abuse interventions involving troubled youth are discussed.     

The decline effect in evaluations of the impact of the Strengthening Families Program for Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14) on adolescent substance use

The decline effect refers to the situation whereby an initially positive set of research findings concerning a phenomenon fail to be replicated in subsequent studies. One explanation for the occurrence of the decline effect is that the initial positive results reported in publications from a single research team are the product of the use of flexible data analysis practices and selective reporting. The present paper reviews evaluations of the Strengthening Families Program for Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14) conducted by the research group who developed the program and five independent replication studies. The focus is on the effects reported for adolescent substance use. It is argued that the isolated statistically significant results reported in the original studies were produced through the use of flexible data analysis practices such as changing outcome variables across publications and post hoc alterations in study design. In light of this, it is unsurprising that the five independent evaluations have failed to replicate these results. A strength of three of the independent evaluations is that they were registered in a clinical trials registry and had published their study protocols. Both of these procedures limit the opportunity to conduct flexible data analysis. It is recommended that future evaluations of the SFP 10-14 should employ these procedures as well as utilizing the registered reports publication process, making their data and methods openly available to other researchers, and including a skeptic in their research team.     

The Community Readiness Survey. Development and initial validation

This article reports on the development and evaluation of a mail survey measuring population attitudes toward substance use of potential receptivity of communities to different prevention efforts. The Community Readiness Survey was designed through a series of prevention practitioner and consultant meetings and focus groups. Psychometric evaluation revealed five distinct domains: perception of alcohol, tobacco, or other drug problem; support for prevention; permissive attitudes toward teen substance use; perception of adolescent access; and perception of community commitment. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated by the small but significant relationships between selected scale scores and community readiness as evaluated by prevention planners.     

The effect of the still‐face paradigm on infant behavior: A cross‐cultural comparison between mothers and fathers

Most still‐face paradigm (SFP) studies have been done in Western families with infant–mother dyads. The present study investigated the SFP pattern in 123 Dutch and 63 Chinese 4‐month‐old infants with mothers and fathers. The classic SFP effect was found for positive affect and gaze in both countries. For negative affect, Chinese infants showed a different SFP pattern than Dutch infants. With fathers, infants displayed a less pronounced SFP pattern for positive affect and an increase from the still face to the reunion for negative affect. Only a minority of infants showed the expected SFP pattern across episodes. Our findings support that infant emotion expression is influenced by parent gender and cultural context. An interesting avenue for further study is the exploration of the origins of within‐ and between‐gender and culture differences in affective communication between parents and infants.