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Parenting: A Psychological Analysis

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One of the biggest fears of any parent has to be their child falling into the habit of using and abusing substances. According to the textbook, Parenting: A Dynamic Perspective by George W. Holden, the most problematic substances are cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs (primarily being marijuana). Monitoring the Future, a survey presented by Holden, surveyed 46,500 high school students. This survey revealed that 20% of seniors smoked cigarettes within the last 30 days. In regards to alcohol, 16.6% of students ranging within the ages of 12-16 participated in binge drinking (consuming an average of 4.5 alcoholic beverages in a short period of time) in the last month, while 63.7% college students ages 18-22 reportedly drank alcohol, and 43.6% …show more content…

In Peer Influence on Adolescent Alcohol Use: The Moderating Role of Parental Support and Discipline, Michael Marshal and Laurie Chassin mention that a strong risk factor for adolescents is being surrounded with peers that engage in substance use (2010). Marshal and Chassin state that “parental warmth, support, and acceptance are thought to play a primary role in adolescent socialization processes by enhancing self-esteem, social skills, conventionality and a sense of competence” (2010). With that said, evidence shows that positive parent-adolescent parenting behaviors, and supportive parents help reduce the risk that the teen will fall into peer pressure, while instilling characteristics and values; on the other hand, teens with unsupportive parents are more likely to fall into the peer pressure (Marshal and Chassin, 2010). It is also proven that appropriate methods of discipline are also play an important factor in the socialization process. Studies show that adolescents who receive higher levels of consistent discipline are less likely to engage in behaviors that resemble those of their substance-using peers because they are aware of the consequences (Marshal and Chassin, 2010). Jeffery Epstein offers parenting tips that can help divert an adolescent from using and abusing substances in Nurturing Teenagers to a better Future. Epstein encourages parents to set high academic expectations, be as accessible as possible, send clear messages to avoid alcohol, drugs, and sex, and finally lock up alcohol and get rid of guns (1998). Epstein also mentions that to reduce the risk to use alcohol and drugs as well as other deviant behavior the child should feel loved, protected, and nurtured at home

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Children and even teenagers are easily persuaded to behave a certain way when they see those around them behaving in that manner. It almost seems like the right thing to do in the mind of the teenager. For this reason, when teenagers see their parents and surrounding community heavily drink and abuse drugs, they are more likely to get involved with those things too. As Simpson said, “ Once it becomes socially ingrained, it’s a vicious cycle” (221).

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The absence of parental involvement in the lives of adolescents is a predictor of the initiation of substance abuse. The authors of the article bring awareness to the need for Brief Family-based interventions to decrease the number of adolescent’s substance abusers. Brief interventions were designed to incorporate time-limited, low-threshold services to prevent progression to more server substance use. The article suggests the “family checkup” technique under the family-based interventions to assist with motiving the parents to change current unhealthy actions for the betterment of the child and family system. This technique is used through the concept of motivational interviewing.

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In today’s society- especially in my community, teenagers’ minds are very gullible. In the mind of a teenager, we don’t just decide that one day maybe I’ll try this drug or that drug. It’s so much pressure put on a teenager; to be like this and don’t do that, led by this example; what society fails to realize is that teenagers get tired and stress out, and that’s when we turn to things, such as drugs. I know in my school the availability of drugs such as marijuana and pill is very abundant. The students' decision to use these drugs realize on their mindset and much of the student's mind set in my school isn’t focus on the school work; they really don’t care whether they pass or not

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Like younger children, adolescents typically remain within the family, and most of them attend school. Also, certain issues develop that were not present or as problematic in previous life stages. Among them, studies show that conflicts with parents increase sharply in frequency and severity during early adolescence as compared to middle childhood years. This increased level of conflict often remains high for several years before finally declining in late adolescence (Arnett, 2012). For many teenagers, parental conflicts are usually related to safety in terms of burgeoning sexuality, illicit substance use/abuse, and unsafe driving as parents restrict freedom in efforts to mitigate the inherent risks of adolescence.

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Scientific evidence has shown that families that maintain certain discipline can help mediate the chaos and stress of addiction. This lack of parental attention seems to be more detrimental to girls and boys; hence, the need for family strengthening interventions that encourage parents to be more involved with their children. (Resnik, 1997) By educating parents with proper information, the parents are able to provide protective factors to their children. The goal of family-based prevention programs is to promote positive behaviour development in youth by instilling proper family relational skills and inculcating behaviours that increase parent/child

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Moving forward, according to our class textbook value “pertains to beliefs and attitudes that provide direction to everyday living” (Corey, et al., 2015, p. 12). As learned through my peers, it is important for me to have a present awareness of the probable moments when counter transference may be triggered to the point where I may even try to impose my beliefs on a client. Based on my cultural origins, some pressing values exist. Unconditional love is on the forefront. In my perspective, Christianity revolves around accepting God’s unconditional love and extending it towards others.

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With all this evidence in mind, we can conclude the danger of underage drinking. Some possible solutions are having more parents’ involvement in their children's lives to influence their decision on alcohol, increase alcohol prices, give huge fines to people allowing underage drinking, or creating anti-alcohol advertising to help children to realize that drinking is not cool at all. Nevertheless, the best solution is parent involvement, because the other solutions will take awhile to accomplish, but parents can talk to their children in any moment about the danger of under age drinking. These parents “are more likely going to influence their children's decisions well into adolescence and beyond”, about whether and how to drink, “decisions that can have lifelong consequences”

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Although treatment can be improved, drug addiction awareness should increase due to adolescent peer pressure, negative care giving, and addict-to-family miscommunication. Addiction is often referred to as action or periodic use. Substance addiction is likely to be correspondent when defining an addict (Kosovski

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Over the course of history, studies have consistently demonstrated the detrimental effects that substance use and addiction can inflict on individuals, their families, and their support systems. When parents in a household have a drug addiction, they are at higher risk of subjecting their children to child abuse and neglect. For example, in many cases, due to their substance abuse issues, parents often leave their children without proper supervision-putting their safety at risk, they are more likely to forget to feed their children and neglect their basic needs, they are more likely to engage in acts of domestic violence and expose their children to such violence, they are also more likely to expose their children to their drug of choice. Growing up in such an environemnt makes children more susceptible to develop a drug problem themselves. Studies have long identified a strong correlation between parental substance abuse and child abuse.

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An astonishing 50% of drugs involving adolescents are either used, bought, or sold at their school(Monitoring the Future). This startling statistic proves to many parents and adults how difficult it is to protect any child from drugs. Half of all adolescents access these harmful drugs such as marijuana, heroin, nicotine, and flavored pods to add to their vaping pens at school. Over 48% of twelfth graders, 34% percent of tenth graders, and a little over 17% of eighth graders are using any type of illicit drug. Though the number of adolescents using heroin has dropped in the past year by .10%, the percent of adolescents using crack cocaine has gone up .30% since 2015 (Monitoring the Future Vol. 1).

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Student, alcohol and drug use is rising, and important life skills are not being learned in schools. According to a survey conducted in 1990 to 1991, teachers stated that they think lack of parent participation is a major problem. If the adults are apathetic , the kids may start follow suit. In 1988, more than twenty percent of teachers interviewed thought alcohol was a problem at school. That suggests that students are disobeying teachers and creating a potentially dangerous situation for themselves and others around them.

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Dr. Tim Clinton states that by 8th grade, 30% of kids have tried alcohol. This number advances every grade you go up. Kids undergo peer pressure by the media and many presume it is alright. Dr. Clinton also said that 60% of teens have reported drugs being kept, sold and used in their school. Drugs are very serious and many parents don't want their children doing them.

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89). In the event of alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents, early exposure to such behavior from parental figures plays a major role in the way adolescents view the consumption of alcohol and drugs. This proposition is directly connected to the priority aspect of this theory. Priority, as it pertains to this topic, is explained as the earliest an individual is exposed to the behavior or act (Bates & Swan, 2014). It has been firmly established that the earliest socialization of an individual begins with the parents and family; this is the most important time of a child’s life where their morals and values are being shaped.

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Posting 2—The Family System and Parenting Issues Part I: Family functioning is a strong predictor of child outcomes. What are the characteristics of effective families and which of these characteristics do you feel is the most essential contribution to family wellbeing? Although every family is different, there are certain characteristics that healthy families share. The quality of the relationship is more important than family configuration.

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Experiencing peer pressure is a way to learn how to overcome pressure and to discover ourselves. We can not become perfect, but we definitely become stronger, more confident and are willing to cope with difficulties. Exposure to peer pressure also gives us an opportunity to think about other people’s outlooks towards life. It is a chance for us to choose the best from what the masses do as well as lead us to make right choices in life. To minimize the bad effects of peer pressure, parential involvement plays a very important part – it promote healthy behaviors and decrease the chance to engage in risky behavior.

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