Current Projects and Findings

Keeping Tabs on Kids

Recently, the Partnership For a Drug-Free America has started a new campaign entitled Questions: The Anti-Drug, urging parents to ask their kids Who? What? When? and Where?. They urge parents to monitor their teens’ whereabouts, activities, and companions to help prevent drug use and abuse. Other research shows that the best way to monitor kids is not to ask them questions, but to get kids to open up to parents on their own (Stattin & Kerr, 2000).

A recent study from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University asked teens about their parents’ use of 12 specific monitoring behaviors and then designated them as “hands-on”, “half-hearted”, or “hands-off” parents. The study found that kids whose parents are “hands-on” are at half of the risk for substance abuse than the average teen. Even children with “half-hearted” parents had a lower than average risk, while teens with “hands-off” parents had more than double the risk of drug and substance abuse. 57% of teens with “hands-on” parents reported having an excellent relationship with their mother, and 47% with their father, whereas only 24% and 13% of kids of “hands-off” parents reported excellent relationships with their mother and father, respectively.
What can you do? The Partnership for a Drug-Free America offers a few simple suggestions to help you improve your monitoring:
“1) Know where your child or teen is at all times. Make sure he/she knows you’re asking out of love, not because of a lack of trust.
2) Personally know all of your teen’s friends. Having your teen point out all their friends from down the block just doesn’t cut it. Know their faces and their voices. Interact with them whenever possible—without actually forcing them to play Scrabble with you.
3) Find out your kid’s plans for the next day. Looking for something to discuss during dinner? This is a great one. ‘So, what’re you up to tomorrow?’ Easy. Right?
4) Limit the time your child spends without adult supervision. The after-school hours of 4 to 6 are the most dangerous time for [preteens] or teens to be on their own. The potential for peer pressure or boredom leading to an after-school drug use habit are huge. If you or another adult you trust can’t be home for your teen, find out about after-school programs they can get involved with.”

Of course, your teen may rebel against your interest, because they are at an age when they want to assert their independence and figure out who they are as a person and not just as a child. By knowing about their activities and relationships, you can help your teen to develop his/her own sense of self and can understand better what they go through each day. You and your teen can work together to find a monitoring strategy that works for both of you. For more tips on monitoring, go to www.drugfreeamerica.org , call 1-800-788-2800 or contact us here at the Village Project.

 

 

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