Why Kids Turn to Drugs
There is no simple answer to why a young person might begin using alcohol or other drugs. Many times, it is a combination of several factors, including society, family and peers. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up or as a risk taker. Or, they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well. So, if their favorite music group, older sibling, parents or a "cool" peer at school uses drugs or alcohol, they may also use drugs or alcohol to emulate their role model(s).
Adolescence is often a time of low self-esteem, which can develop as a result of not being able to grow and change as quickly as is desired. Or conversely, physical development can occur much earlier than emotional development. A young person with low self-esteem may feel they are not as smart, attractive, talented or popular as their peers. They may also feel pressured by parents, teachers or others to achieve goals that seem unattainable. To help deal with the pressure, a young person with low self-esteem may be more likely to put aside his/her good judgment and turn to drugs or alcohol to escape.
Start early: Statistics show that by age 13, many young people are already experimenting with drugs. Children may be curious or fearful about drug-related images and messages they see in the community and media. Even when children are as young as 5 or 6, you can talk to them about things that are "safe" or "dangerous." Don't wait until a problem arises to discuss their questions. By talking to children about drugs when they are young, good communication habits are being developed; and the chance that they will discuss concerns later are improved.
Give them the facts: Talk to teens about the dangerous consequences of drug use. Respect their need to know the facts and answer their questions honestly. Help them sort through all the confusing messages they get from peers, television, movies, music and school.
Listen, don't lecture: Teens often struggle to express their feelings and concerns to adults. Take time to hear what they are really saying, as well as not saying. Help them think of ways to respond to social situations, especially where drugs are involved. Encourage them to explore new interests. In doing so, their sen...
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...ends do it, and I want to fit in."
"It takes me away from the bordem and the crap."
"When I drink, it makes me more sure of myself."
"I like the feeling of getting high or drunk."
By the time kids reach their teens, they naturally start to follow their own path. They become interested in the activities of older teens and adults, especially their use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Young people want to be perceived as more adult.
In truth, kids who veer into a lifestyle built on something as external and artificial as drugs are defeating their own goals for independence by taking the opposite road - the road to dependance. Young people are more inclined to have drug problems if they have difficulties managing their experiences and emotions, or their confidence and skills can't meet the demands of everyday living. Drug use provided an easy, negative substitute for taking control of one's life in a stressful world.
Drug problems may be curbed by involving your kids in avenues like sports, the arts, or aspects of your work which are of interest to them. Family lisfe is also very important in shaping a young person's attitudes towards drugs.
Drugs are not only a problem for older generations, but often times those in younger generations become involved in the drug trade as well. According to Anderson (1990), “Children who become deeply engaged in t...
Many fall into peer pressure that's because of the friends they come across with. Friends can influence them so much once becoming an adult it isn’t the same because your brain has grown out of it. Many also lack confidence while many look like adults their brain resembles a child’s. While their bodies are aging their brain is rearranging itself in a way that temporarily makes it act the same way it did when they were younger. Most teens are overly emotional studies have found that teens have a much harder time speaking and to other people and so they sometimes react irrationally to emotional situations. Many parents wonder what happens to the smart child they use to have many still put in the exact same effort but get different results that's because the brain losses tissue over the years. Losing brain tissue can cause a teen to act immature and not quite like an adult
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
Kids of all ages are aware of and trying drugs. Most kids feel they have to join in to fit in, when a better solution would be to tell someone who can help. As children we are taught not to tell on one another or we are a tattletale or snitch. We need to stop the drug use before it stops our children. We need the kids to tell us where it is coming from and how we can help.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
Teens have no self-control, when teens have bad parenting, a bad childhood, or them getting bullied in the past.. We don’t see if they’re doing okay in life, if their happy with where they’re at, if they need help with any issues. Parents need to be connected more with their kids and never make weapons available so easily. Teens aren’t ready to handle choices on their own, they still don’t know weather to do it or not, if we were lying that drugs are bad, if we were lying that strangers are danger. Us teens never thought that was actually true
When teenagers are going through certain problems in their lives, they tend to turn to certain things to help keep their mind off whatever they are going through. “Teens drink or use drugs to check out family problems or issues with school/grades” (Look for signs and symptoms).... ... middle of paper ... ... Teenagers are teenagers, they’re going to experiment, that’s just how today’s society is, but you can help them be more aware of what they may choose to experiment with.
There are a number of reasons why teenagers feel the urge to drink. Social environment, peer influence, stresses, and even factors such as media influence contribute to underage drinking. Peer pressure is as well known use among teens. Americans have a burning desire to be accepted and liked by their peers. Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. Many adolescents feel that they need to drink alcohol to gain this acceptance by the others around them. Stress is also another reason why teens may feel apt to drink alcohol. Stress causes teenagers to look for a quick escape from the problems, which they face, in their day-to-day lives. This quick escape can be found in the shape of a bottle. In the eyes of an underage drinker, alcohol is the cure to all problems, a way to forget all of stress and pressures that are facing them. They feel that it will numb their pain and continuing to use alcohol will result in maybe another problem, substance abuse.
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
Before being capable of fighting the use of drugs and alchol, one must come to an understanding of why some people use drugs. The decision to ultimately use drugs is influenced mainly in childhood. Whether in a poor ?ghetto? neighborhood, or in a middle-class suburb, all children are vulnerable to the abuse of drugs. Most high-risk children are effected by personal and family circumstances (Falco 51). If a child?s parents are substance abusers, then it is a fairly safe prediction that the child will abuse drugs later in life. Also, early-life experiments with drugs greatly increases the chance of abuse later in life. Academic problems, and rebellious, anti-social behavior in elementary school are also linked to drug problems, in addition to truancy, delinquency, and ear...
Adolescences in particular can be easily influenced to abusing a drug or multiple drugs. I believe this happens because teens often lack education, live in an environment where drugs are readily available, are peer-pressured and the lack of proper growth of the frontal lobe. Many factors contribute to adolescences experimenting with drugs. As side from being a child, the adolescence stage is of great importance. Healthy habits and activities are supposed to be instilled within this stage of life. The adolescence stage can be very perplexing and what is made into a habit then is easily carried on into adulthood. Our genes act together with our environment to contribute to the addictive behaviors we are motivated to develop. If addiction is left untreated it can ultimately lead to de...
The first step when beginning to implement drug education in a classroom or school is for the individual that is considering the topic to deem why the implementation is important. There are three main reasons teachers have found the implementation to be important. The first reason is that students are more likely to come in contact with drugs by hearing about them, or using them. By having a program implemented into a classroom or school, it can assist individuals to gain knowledge about the topic. The purpose of this is to help individuals make healthy, responsible decisions about drugs now and in the future that will reflect the individual’s identity and morals. The second reason is to help promote a healthy lifestyle for students. Teachers believe that by engaging students in drug education programs, it can help to benefit well-being of the students so that healthy lifestyles are reached to the fullest potentials. Lastly, teachers have found it to be important because teachers can act as a partner with parents, guardians, and other members of the community, in order to ensure that students are being provided with accurate and developmentally appropriate drug education. The school can provide knowledge to students in an area that is sometimes difficult for parents, guardians, and the community to talk about.
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.
Each day drugs make a huge impact on our generation. Throughout this topic I would like to know what causes teenagers to try illegal drugs and how impacts their lives. Drugs can affect a person in different parts of their lives. For example their education, work, personal life, and can affect the relationship with their family and friends.