Drug Awareness and Prevention Curriculum:
Meeting the Needs of a Child of a Substance Abuser
Drug prevention
programs must begin in the early elementary school years (Bradley, 1988, p.
99). Different programs may approach
drug awareness and prevention in a variety of ways. These programs all seek to teach students
refusal skills in relation to use of alcohol or illegal drugs. Some programs focus on using teachers and/or
uniformed police officers to engage the students (Bureau of Justice Assistance
Fact Sheet, 1995). Yet others focus on
how the family can develop children’s abilities to make healthy choices (
Current literature
encompasses many different approaches to drug awareness and prevention in
schools, yet there are very few specific guidelines to address the special
needs of children who are living in an environment where alcohol abuse and/or
illegal drugs are prevalent. The need
for school counselors, teachers and other helping professionals, such as
coaches or school nurses, to identify and carefully approach these special
needs of students is recognized by some programs (Wilson, 2000), but they give
very little supportive information on what approach would be in the best
interest of the child. The purpose of
this article is to present three different approaches to drug awareness and
prevention curriculum in schools, why these programs should be supplemented,
and how a school counselor may collaborate with other helping professionals to
meet the needs of at-risk students from home environments that include alcohol
abuse and/or illegal drug use.
Three Approaches to Drug Prevention
D.A.R.E.
Drug Abuse
Resistance Education is a collaborative, comprehensive drug and violence
prevention education program that addresses the needs of kindergarten students
through 12th grade. It is
designed to equip student with the necessary tools to resist drugs, violence
and gangs. More than 25 million
elementary school students have received the core curriculum with D.A.R.E.
being taught by law enforcement officers in 19 countries. This core curriculum targets young children
to help them to develop skills to resist substance abuse and violence by
focusing on the following objectives and goals (Gist, 1995).
Acquiring the
knowledge and skills to recognize and resist peer pressure to experiment with
tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
Enhancing
self-esteem.
Learning assertive
techniques.
Learning about
positive alternatives to substance abuse.
Learning anger
management and conflict resolution skills.
Developing risk
assessment and decision making skills.
Reducing violence.
Building
interpersonal and communication skills.
Resisting gang
involvement (Gist, 1995).
D.A.R.E.
attempts to obtain these goals by training law enforcement officials to
collaborate with certified teacher to teach a structured curriculum to
students. Obeying laws, personal safety,
and the helpful and harmful uses of medicines and drug are taught in
kindergarten through fourth grade during 15-20 minute visitation lessons. The core curriculum training begins in fifth
grade and extends through sixth. This
17-week curriculum uses question and answer sessions, group discussions,
role-playing and workbook exercises. The
junior high curriculum consists of 10 lessons that encourage students to resist
peer pressure, conflict resolution, and anger management, while the high school
component concentrates again on these issues.
This program has also been adapted for teaching special populations
(Gist, 1995).
D.A.R.E.
has developed a parent component that encourages family support and involvement
in the program, offering any adult interested in the health, safety and
development of life skills for children information on D.A.R.E. and community
resources (Gist, 1995).
In any of these
components, parental substance abuse is not addressed. Although students are able to talk to the
officers and teachers involved with D.A.R.E., very few students actually
disclose information about parental drug use.
Officers do encourage students to talk to school counselors, but the
counselors have little or no involvement in the drug prevention program (Doug
Bartels, Personal Communication,
Family
Skills Training for Parents and Children
The Office of
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention believes that substance abuse,
child abuse and neglect, youth conflict and aggression, and early sexual
involvement problems may originate within the family structure. OJJDP developed the Strengthening Families
Program to combat these problems. The
program was designed as a substance abuse prevention program for high-risk,
drug-abusing parents to help them improve their parenting skills and help their
children avoid drug abuse (
During the parent
training sessions, learning theories, stress and anger management, encouraging
children’s good behavior, problem solving, and implementation and maintenance
of behavior programs. Developing social
skills, communication skills, problem solving skills, and coping skills are
concentrated on during the children’s training skills sessions. During the family skills training all of the
newly acquired skills are practiced using role-playing and games (
Of all of the
programs reviewed, the Strengthening Families Program seems to be the most
comprehensive in addressing the parental substance abuse issue. The main problem is that the program does not
involve the school system and the teachers, school counselors and
administrators who see the children everyday.
Seemingly the only way that a child can get into this program is if the
parent already has a problem and has gone for treatment.
Iowa
City Schools Health Curriculum
Recently
implemented in the
The kindergarten
through sixth grade curriculum is organized around 10 different content areas;
Nutrition Education, Family Health, Consumer Health, Community Health, Safety
and First Aid, Substance Use and Abuse, Growth and Development, Personal Health
Practices, Emotional and Mental Health, and Disease Prevention and
Control. The seventh through 12th
grade curriculum is organized around six categories; Tobacco Use, Alcohol and
Other Drug Use, Sexual Behaviors That Lead to Unwanted Pregnancies and STDs,
Dietary Behaviors, Lack of Physical Activity, and Intentional and Unintentional
Injuries (CMU, n.d.).
Like many of the
drug prevention programs surveyed, the Iowa City Health Curriculum does not
directly address the issues of parental substance abuse. While this issue is not directly addressed,
teachers, school counselors, and support staff are responsible to be sensitive
to the individual child’s needs when personal information, such as parental
substance abuse, is brought to their attention.
Why Supplement the
Current Program?
The
National Association of Children of Alcoholics (2001) states “An estimated 1 in
4 U.S. children under 18 is exposed to a family alcohol problem, and countless
others are affected by parental drug abuse (p. iv).” Many drug prevention programs do not address
the needs of Children of Substance Abusers (CoSAs) which could perpetuate the
“shame and embarrassment regarding the alcoholic’s behavior, coupled with the
need to maintain alcoholism as a closely guarded family secret, isolate[ing]
family members from the community as well (Wilson and Blocher, 1990, p.100).”
Drug
prevention educators are often unaware of the severe affect substance abuse can
have on children who may not show any marked symptoms until adulthood (Newlon
and Furrow, 1986). School counselors may
lesson the potential isolating ramifications that may occur to a CoSA during a
drug prevention activity by educating teachers and other helping professionals
on the needs of a CoSA.
Implications for
School Counselors
O’Rourke
(1990) believes the entire school system will reap the benefits of
professionals, school counselors, working hard to reach their CoSA population
and intervene. CoSA’s “problem[s] must
be addressed and counselors are in an excellent position to help (Thompson and
Rudolph, 1992, 392).” Wilson and Blocher
(1990) state “As they acquire more information and understanding, counselors
can begin to select the films, books, and articles appropriate for
presentations to teachers and other school personnel at staff meetings,
inservice programs, and professional meetings (Wilson and Blocher, 1990, p.
102)”. Wright (2001) states that
“teachers have asked for inservice programs addressing Children of Alcoholics
(CoAs) in the classroom. Many inservices
are funded with the help of the drug Free Schools and Communities Act (Wright,
2001, p. 14).” A school counselor may
attempt to receive grant funding to assist in the cost of implementing a
program to provide information helping professionals may use to identify and
respond appropriately to CoSAs.
Once the
appropriate materials are obtained, school counselors can facilitate
comprehension by other helping professionals of the needs of a CoSA, which may
lead to better identification and referrals back to the school counselor
(Wilson and Blocher, 1990). Ideally,
Wright (2001) states “Most teachers develop an ability to recognize the child
who is likely to develop serious mental and emotional problems, but they need
training to respond appropriately and to link the child with services that can
help (Wright, 2001, p. 13).”
Acquiring these
materials will facilitate collaboration between the school counselor, teachers
and other helping professionals to identify CoSAs and provide additional
guidance, beyond the scope of the drug prevention curriculum.
School
counselors, teachers and other helping professionals may collaborate to develop
techniques for identifying CoSAs through opening the lines of communication and
presenting information in a casual and yet factual manner during the drug
prevention curriculum (Crowley, 2001).
Wenger (1999) states:
Probably
one in five children sitting in on a given day has a mom or dad who drinks too
much, and that is confusing, often frightening, and always painful. They need validating and normalizing
statements like ‘Lots of kids live in these kinds of families. Many of you probably do.’ Dropped in a
natural way into health lessons and discussion of related issues (Wenger, 1999,
para. 13).
The helping professional may then limit a
child’s self-disclosure in front of the other students by referring the child
to the school counselor for individualized counseling (O’Rourke, 1990). This may be a good opportunity to explain the
role of the school counselor as being a safe person to help children understand
their situation.
During
drug prevention curriculum or during normal classroom activities, if a possible
CoSA has been identified, a referral to the school counselor for individualized
counseling or small group guidance activities surrounding these needs is
appropriate (Buwick, A., Martin, D. and Martin, M., 1988). Individualized counseling may include
bibliotherapy, role-playing, assertiveness training, and relaxation techniques
(Wilson and Blotcher, 1990). A school
counselor can use a simple technique for building a child’s sense of autonomy
from their family situation, it can be found at NACoA’s website, http://www.nacoa.net/7cs.htm, which suggests teaching the essential
seven “Cs”:
I didn’t CAUSE it.
I can’t CURE it.
I can’t CONTROL it.
I can CARE for myself by Communicating my feelings,
Making healthy CHOICES, and
By CELEBRATING myself.
These seven “Cs” foster a sense of
independence and lessen feelings of responsibility toward a family member with
a substance abuse problem (Children of Alcoholics: A Kit for Educators, 2001,
p. 26)
CoSAs
often do not have their physical or psychological needs met in the family. Children who live in homes where rules are
consistently broken and family members cannot be relied upon to provide love
and nuturance cannot be expected to grow and develop into fully functioning,
well-adjusted individuals (Thompson and Rudolph, 1992). School counselors may
inform teachers of the benefits of classroom strategies for dealing with CoSAs,
which may include:
1.
Maintaining a daily
schedule that enables the child to experience order and structure; this may be
the only part of the child’s life that has order.
2.
Allow the child to make choices and decisions, enabling him
or her to feel in control of at least part of his or her life.
3.
Provide some work time for the child to do homework at
school.
4.
Be alert to signs of tension and stress in the child and
develop a repertoire of relaxation activities (Wilson and Blocker, 1990, p.
102).
Teachers willing to utilize these steps
may help counter the affects of living in a dysfunctional and sometimes
dangerous environment.
Conclusion
The lack of
guidance in drug abuse and prevention programs dealing with parental substance
abuse mandates a collaboration between the school counselor, teachers and other
helping professionals to address this problem.
Many different approaches to drug abuse prevention are available, yet
few deal with the issues that children of substance abusers have to confront on
a daily basis. Learning about drug use
and abuse in schools may cause confusion children of substance abusers often
get mixed messages of what is right or wrong.
This creates confusion for the child, with uncertainty coming from the
home and school environments. School
Counselors can impact this problem by implementing training for teachers that
helps them to recognize the problem. Teachers
need to let the children know that substance abuse is not uncommon and open the
lines of communication so the children know where they can go get help. By assessing needs of the students and
setting goals and objectives, an effective drug prevention needs to be put into
action, while also addressing the issues of parental substance abuse and the
effect on children. These issues have
been raised to hopefully create change and to address the so far unmet needs of
these children.
Links on-line:
Al-anon
http://www.al-anon.org
Alateen
http://www.alateen.org
Alcoholics Anonymous
http://www.aa.org
American Council for
Drug Education (ACDE)
http://www.acde.org
DHHS Kids Page
http://www.dhhs.gov/kids
Freevibe
http://www.freevibe.com
Lowe Family
Foundation
http://www.lowefamily.org
Michigan Model
Central Michigan
University
http://www.emc.cmich.edu
National Council on
Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
http://www.ncadd.org
National Association
of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors
http://www.naadac.org
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
http://www.nacoa.org
http://www.health.org
http://www.nacoa.net/kidpage.htm
Nation Institute on
Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
National Association
for Native American Children of Alcoholics
http://www.nanacoa.org
National Media
Prevention Media Campaign
http://www.mediacampaign.org
http://www.TheAntiDrug.com
The Higher education
Center for Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention
http://www.edc.org/hec
Safe and Drug Free
Schools and Communities
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/
Brown Bottle: A Fable for Children of All Ages. Penny Jones, Center City, MN: Hazelden Foundation, 1983. Presents an allegory of alcoholism in the
illustrated story of Charlie the caterpillar who leaves the caterpillar kingdom
to follow the glow of the brown bottle.
The Cat Who Drank Too Much.
LeClair Bissell and Richard Watherwax.
Bantam, CT: Bibliophile Press,
1982
An Elephant in the Living
Room, The Children’s Book. M.H. Typpo and J.M. Hastings Minneapolis, MN: Compcare Publications, 1984. A program designed to help children from
seven years to early adolescence cope with the problems of living with a problem
drinking or drug-abusing parent or sibling.
The leader’s guide is primarily for adults working with children in
groups. The children’s book uses a
workbook format with line drawings.
Drugs and your parents.
Rhonda McFarland. NewYork: Rosen, 1991.
Millions of kids are children of alcoholics or addicts. McFarland gives kids practical advice on how
to cope and survive. Ages 10 and up.
My Dad Loves Me, My Dad has
a Disease. Claudia Black. Denver, CO:
M.A.C. Printing, 1979. A workbook
designed to help young children learn about themselves, their feelings, and the
disease of alcoholism in their families through art therapy. Children between the ages of 6 and 14 share
what it is like for them to live in an alcoholic family.
Not my family: Sharing the truth about alcoholism. Maxine B. Rosenberg.
New York: Brandbury Press,
1988. The author of this book
interviewed eight children referred to her through treatment centers and six
adult children of alcoholics about their family experiences. The bibliography is addressed to adults as
well as children, and the book contains a list of seven national organizations
that one can contract for help. Ages 10
and up.
Something’s Wrong in My
House. Katherine Leiner.
New York: Franklin Watts,
1988. About domestic violence and
alcoholism and how it affects children.
Acknowledges the universal feelings of fear, anger, and hopelessness,
and looks for ways to cope.
Think of Wind. Catherine Mercury.
Rochester, NY: One Big Press. A
simply stated story about how alcoholism impacts families. An excellent resources for teachers and
parents to use with young children, and older children to read on their own.
Have You Ever Been A Child?
(Hints for children and adults). Leslie Gebhart. Palm Springs, CA: Trinehaeart Publishers. A great book for parents and teachers to use
with children, and older children to use on their own. Simple illustrations with hope-filled
messages give inspiration to children of all ages. Ordering information: 1-800-898-7884.
Phone Numbers:
CHILDHELP USA Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-422-4453
Lowe Family Foundation 1-202-362-4883
National Association for Children of
Alcoholics (NACoA) 1-888-554-COAS
National Youth Crisis Hotline 1-800-448-4663
National Runaway Switchboard
1-800-621-4000
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities 1-202-732-4599
Bradley, D.
(1988) Alcohol and drug education in the
elementary school. Elementary School
Guidance and Counseling. 23 (2), 99-105.
Buwick, A., Martin, D. &
Martin, M. (1988) Helping Children deal
with alcoholism in their families.
Elementary School Guidance and Counseling 23 (2), 112-117.
Bureau of Justice Assistance Fact Sheet. (1995) Drug Abuse Resistance Education
[Brochure]. Washington,
D.C.: Gist, Nancy E.
Central Michigan University,
Michigan Model Health Curriculum, (n.d.) Retrieved September 30, 2001, from http://www.emc.cmich.edu
Crowley, J. (2001) Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Chief. Children of Alcoholics: A Kit for Educators. 15-16.
Lowe
Family Foundation December Interview with Sis Wenger, Executive Director 1999, Support for families coping with alcoholism:
Children Needing Angels. (n.d.) Retrieved September 22, 2001, from http://www.lowefamily.org/interviews/dec99.html
Newlon, B. & Furrow, W.
(1986) Using the Classroom To Identify Children from Alcoholic Homes. The School Counselor. 33 (4). 286-291.
O’Rourke, K. (1990) Recapturing
hope: elementary school support groups for children of alcoholics. Elementary School Guidance and Curriculum.
25, 107-114.
Press Citizen, Iowa City Schools Institute New Health
Curriculum…By Kathryn A. Ratliff. (2001, August, 7) Retrieved Oct.1,2001,
from http://press-citizen.com/news/080701health.htm
The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (2001) Children of Alcoholics:
A Kit for Educators. iv.
Thompson, C., & Rudolph,
L. (1992). Counseling Children. Pacific
Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing
Company.
Wright, D. (2001). When
the Teacher is Knowledgeable and Caring . . .Children of Alcoholics: A Kit
for Educators. 13-14.
Wilson, J., & Blocher, L
(1990). The counselor’s role in assisting children of alcoholics. Elementary School Guidance and Counseling.
25, 98 – 106.
Wilson, J., (2000). Family Skills Training for Parents and
Children. Retrieved September 30,2001, from http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_04_2/contents.html