Transcript Okanagan Nation Alliance (2004) Kelowna, B.C.

Dangerous Journeys
A metaphor for passage through the teen years
Marvin Krank
How can we help youth get
through these perilous times
Mixed messages
Project on Adolescent Trajectories and
Health (PATH): social context, cognition,
risk-taking behaviour, and health
outcomes
• Three-year
•
•
longitudinal
study
Funded by
the SSHRC
and CIHR
Partnership
with SD#23
Overview of theoretical approach
Social
Context
Cognition
Behavior
Health
Outcome
Social factors modify cognitions about risky behaviors
Cognitions affect transitions to risk-taking behavior
Risk-taking behaviors impact on health outcomes
Life style choices begin in
adolescence
• Drug and alcohol use
begin in the early teens
– Many smokers begin
before age 14
• Risky choices have longterm consequences for
youth
–
–
–
–
early pregnancy
accidents
unhealthy lifestyles
lost opportunities
Grades 7-10 are a time of significant transitions in drug and alcohol use
Drug and alcohol use
Percent used in past year
90%
80%
Alcohol
70%
Drunkenness
60%
Tobacco
50%
Marijuana
40%
Stimulants
30%
Opiates
20%
Club Drugs
10%
Hallucinogens
0%
Seven
Eight
Nine
Grade
Ten
A small, but significant percentage of these
youth used drugs and alcohol in the past
week
Male
Female
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eight Nine
Ten
Alcohol
20%
33%
36%
18%
25%
29%
Drunkenness
10%
16%
21%
8%
19%
20%
Cigarettes
4%
4%
9%
5%
12%
13%
Marijuana
7%
13%
20%
7%
17%
20%
Hallucinogens
4%
2%
2%
3%
3%
3%
Inhalants
5%
4%
4%
4%
5%
2%
High risk behaviours tend to
co-exist
• Drug and alcohol
use, early and unsafe
sexual activity, and
violence tend to cooccur
• For example, heavier
drug and alcohol use
is linked to being
both a victim and a
perpetrator of sexual
assault.
Drug and alcohol use are highly
correlated
Used alcohol
Percent used marijuana
No
2.8%
Yes
44.9%
Are aboriginal youth at greater
risk?
• Nine out of twelve comparison measures
show higher levels of use
• May mask levels of use as we have a
lower level of participation and higher
drop out rate (50% versus 20%)
• School drop outs have much higher
levels of use!
Culturally Specific Risk Factors
• Ethnic Dislocation
(May, 1982; Oetting, Beauvais &Velarde,
1982; Trimble Padilla, & Bell, 1987)
• Acculturation Stress
• Alienation from the Larger Culture
(LaFromboise, 1988)
(Moncher et al., 1990)
• Unstructured time on reservations,
during which drinking is also a
response to boredom (Edwards & Edwards, 1988)
Why we
should care
Adolescent risk is based on what
they do
• Unsafe sex in youth
leads to teen
pregnancy, low birth
weight babies, and
STDs including HIV
• Drug and alcohol use
increase
unintentional
injuries, the leading
cause of death in
youth
Early and heavy alcohol use is correlated
with many negative outcomes
• Health
– Aches and pains
– Accidents
– Hospitalization
• Violence
– Victim
– Perpetrator
– Various kinds
• Sex
• Bullying
• Assault
– Early sex
– Regretted sex
– Sexual assault
• Problem behaviours
• Skipped school
• Stayed out all night without
parent permission
• Damaged property
• Warned or detained by police
• School detention
• Stole something outside of home
• Stole at home
• Suspended out of school
• Suspended in school
• Ran away from home
• Carrying weapons
Modern Risk
Prevention Programs
• Deal with social and cultural influences
• Encourage alternative activities
• Correct misconceptions about drug and
alcohol use
Contemporary Evidence-based
Methods
• Less confrontational
• Motivate change
• Meet individuals where they are
– Age and Stage appropriate
• Culturally responsive
– Community participation
• Can be brief interventions
Canoe Journey, Life’s Journey
• Development of Culturally Relevant Life Skills
•
•
•
Manual
Canoe Journey as a metaphor for life’s
journey
Use of other traditionally Native symbols,
particularly the Medicine Wheel
Medicine Wheel generally understood to have
similar meaning across tribal boundaries
Conclusion
• The real war on drugs is the battle for the hearts
and minds of our youth
• We don’t want to prevent them from taking the
journey, but we do want them prepared for
challenges along the way.