Contents

• A Letter to Parents
• Talking to Your Kids-Communicating the Risks
• Want to Know More? Some FAQs about Marijuana
• Starting the Conversation
• Other Useful Resources

 

Contents

• Preface
• Introduction
• Drug Abuse and Addiction
• Preventing Drug Abuse: The Best Strategy
• Drugs and the Brain
• Addiction and Health
• Treatment and Recovery
• Advancing Addiction Science and Practical Solutions
• Citations

Ordering Publications

 

 

Could your kids be at risk for substance abuse?

Families strive to find the best ways to raise their children to live happy, healthy, and productive lives.  Parents are often concerned about whether their children will start or are already using drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and others, including the abuse of prescription drugs.  Research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has shown the important role that parents play in preventing their children from starting to use drugs.

The following five questions, developed by the Child and Family Center at the University of Oregon, highlight parenting skills that are important in preventing the initiation and progression of drug use among youth.  For each question, a video clip shows positive and negative examples of the skill, and additional videos and information are provided to help you practice positive parenting skills.  

5 Questions:

COMMUNICATION

1. Are you able to communicate calmly and clearly with your teenager regarding relationship problems?

Good communication between parents and children is the foundation of strong family relationships. Developing good communication skills helps parents catch problems early, support positive behavior, and stay aware of what is happening in their children's lives.

Relationship Problems and Clear Communication

• Negative example: Mom gets defensive
• Positive example: Mom is understanding

ENCOURAGEMENT

2. Do you encourage positive behaviors in your teenager on a daily basis?

Encouragement is key to building confidence and a strong sense of self. Consistent encouragement helps youth feel good about themselves and gives them confidence to: try new activities, develop new friendships, explore their creativity, and tackle difficult tasks. It also helps parents promote cooperation and reduce conflict.

Underachievement in School and Daily Encouragement

• Negative example: Dad reacts to failure
• Positive example: Dad builds on success

NEGOTIATION

3. Are you able to negotiate emotional conflicts with your teenager and work toward a solution?

Negotiating solutions offers parents a way to work together to solve problems; make changes; promote and improve cooperation; and teach youth how to focus on solutions rather than problems, think through possible outcomes of behavior, and develop communication skills.

Destructive Behavior and Negotiation

• Negative example: Dad gets angry
• Positive example: Dad stays calm

SETTING LIMITS

4. Are you able to calmly set limits when your teenager is defiant or disrespectful? Are you able to set limits on more serious problem behavior such as drug use, if or when it occurs?

Setting limits helps parents teach self-control and responsibility, show caring, and provide safe boundaries. It also provides youth with guidelines and teaches them that following rules is important for their success in life.

Defiance/Disrespect and Setting Limits

• Negative example: Mom argues
• Positive example: Mom stays in control

SUPERVISION

5. Do you monitor your teenager to assure that he or she does not spend too much unsupervised time with peers?

Childhood is a period of major growth and change. Youth tend to be uncertain about themselves and how they "fit in," and at times they can feel overwhelmed by a need to please and impress their friends. These feelings can leave children open to peer pressure. Knowing your child's friends and peers helps parents improve communication, reduce conflict, and teach responsibility.

Unsupervised Time with Peers and Monitoring

• Negative example: Dad doesn't pay attention
• Positive example: Dad follows up

References

1. Dishion TJ, Nelson SE, Kavanagh K. The family check-up with high-risk adolescents: Preventing early-onset substance use by parent monitoring. Behav Ther.2003;34(4):553-571.
2. Dishion TJ, Kavanagh K, Schneiger A, Nelson S, Kaufman NK. Preventing early adolescent substance use: a family-centered strategy for the public middle school. Prev Sci.2002;3(3):191-201.