Enhancing Potency Among Male Adolescents at Risk to Drug Abuse: An Action Research

Potency defined as one’s self-control, self-confidence, and the belief that society is just and significant, is considered to be an important personality resource for coping with life stressors. The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of a two- stage intervention model on the level of potency. The intervention model consisted of physically and mentally challenging boot camp (five days) and group therapy (24 sessions). The sample consisted of 34 adolescents at risk of drug abuse divided into two groups, a study and comparison group. Participants were administered self-report questionnaires before and after the intervention. The following scales were measured: potency, self-esteem, optimism, social support from friends and family, and past traumatic experiences. Results indicated that the levels of potency, self-esteem, and optimism were significantly higher in the study group compare to the comparison group. In addition, there was a decline of all the variables in the comparison group at the second time of data collection, indicating that intervention during adolescence is critical.