Ryzyko uzależnienia młodzieży szkolnej od narkotyków : strategie profilaktyczne i interwencyjne podejmowane w środowisku lokalnym

Abstract

The book addresses an issue of drug abuse, which is becoming a growing social problem in Poland. The socio-economic and political changes in recent years have increased the number of factors detrimental to children and youth. As a result of this, increasingly more young people turn to psychoactive substances. What is particularly alarming is the increasingly younger age of children who begin to use a substance. Hence, the following book is addressed mainly to teachers/educators/parents with an aim to provide them with indispensable knowledge to help them protect children and youth from the hazards and consequences of drug abuse. This monograph presents the latest trends in addiction prophylaxis and interventional strategies to be employed in the event of hazards to life and health with persons under the influence. It also prompts for reflection on the quality, adequacy and efficacy of the prophylactic actions undertaken by specialists. Drug addiction inflicts irreparable harm in every sphere of human life. Its enormous social costs make the intensification of actions aimed to curb substance abuse an urgent social need. As shown by the reports from the NIK (Supreme Chamber of Control), actions were initiated in Poland to create a comprehensive drug abuse profylaxis system for school children and youth at all levels of education. These encompass mainly designing projects to prevent drug abuse at particular administrative levels (including schools) and assigning specific tasks to appropriate authorities, institutions and entities. However, the so far implemented actions have not produced sufficient prophylaxes, and the quality of actions undertaken within the framework of these projects turned out to be inadequate to the scale and significance of the problem. The book consists of three chapters. Chapter one discusses the issues relevant to drug abuse including the causes, ways of prevention and strategies of intervention. It also presents the conception of assimilative prophylaxis, which is a new approach towards work with youth at risk of drug addiction. Chapter two presents the methodological premises for author’s own research, which was conducted according to clearly defined procedures and research strategy. It also analyses the results of studies on premises of Centrum Interwencji Kryzysowej i Przeciwdziałania Uzależnieniom (Centre for Crisis Intervention and Addictions Prevention) in Bytom in 2014. They encompass an analysis of survey data and data obtained from interviews with the addicted persons treated in the above mentioned institution. Chapter three proposes scenarios for classes within the framework of the author’s own project of therapeutic actions based on the conclusions of research and founded in assimilative prophylaxis. This project was implemented in Katolicki Ośrodek Rehabilitacyjno-Wychowawczy „Dom Nadziei” (Catholic Rehabilitation-Education Centre „House of Hope”) in Bytom on a stationary round-the-clock ward for therapy and rehabilitation of youth.