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Prevent Children from Using Recreational Drugs

Written by: Wendy Moelker, Psychologist in charge, tutor, Emergis center for mental health care, Goes, the Netherlands.
First version: 22 Jul 2008. Latest version: 24 Jul 2008.

Abstract:

Education and a positive self image will help preventing children from using recreational drugs.

Question:

What can I do to prevent my children from using drugs?

Answer:

Experimenting is not always due to the curiosity of your child. Friends have a lot of influence because it is important for youngsters to belong to a group. If the group to which they want to belong uses stimulants they will 'have to' go along with that to be part of the group. The pressure from the group can be very big. The extent to which youngsters wants to go along with that depends on their own personality and skills. Youngsters with little confidence are more sensible to the group's pressure than youngsters with a lot of confidence. Two important things that you can give your children in their education are confidence and a positive self-image. Your child will get confidence through the things he does. When your child gets enough appreciation, he will start to think positively about himself and be stronger in life. When your child gets an excess of criticism, he will start to think negatively about himself and be more vulnerable. Youngsters with confidence are better in deciding what they want and what they don't want. They are better in coping with the group's pressure. That makes the risk of an experiment that gets out of hand smaller.

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