Fiona MacDonald

The Initial Use of Drugs in a Sample of Pre-teenage Schoolchildren: the role of choice, pressure and influence

The traditional assumption that young people are introduced to illegal drugs as a result of peer pressure has been increasingly challenged in recent years with a number of authors arguing that peer selection and individual choice are more important influences. The present paper seeks to further our understanding of this issue by examining the accounts which a sample of pre-teenage children gave of their initial use of drugs. While peer pressure, a desire to conform to the group, and other attempts to influence them were found to be involved in a proportion of the cases, the dominant factors in initial use were personal choice and curiosity. It was also clear that curiosity, external influences and a desire to conform were not mutually exclusive and would often interact as part of a complex dynamic. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for drugs education.

Why do children experiment with illegal drugs? The declining role of peer pressure with increasing age

There has been hardly any research on the decisions that children in their late pre-teen and early teenage years (age 11–14) make in relation to drugs and the factors which influence these decisions. This article examines one aspect of this process: the role of peer pressure and its influence in the initiation of illegal drug use. The article is based on a longitudinal study of 92 ‘at risk’ children aged 10–12 years at the time of first contact. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews administered at yearly intervals for a period of two years. The childrens accounts suggest that the role of peer pressure declines substantially as a component of drug offers as the children get older and that the decision to experiment with drugs is increasingly a matter of personal choice. The declining role of peer pressure is explained in terms of a change in orientation among drug taking peers from drug trying as a form of risk taking to drug use as an enjoyable activity. One consequence of the reduction in pressure from peers is that children feel more comfortable being in the company of other young people when they are using drugs. Although they still require the skills to deal with unwelcome offers, the study suggests that actions which influence the young persons drug-related choices are likely to be much more relevant to their needs as they get older. The predominant influence of curiosity and boredom in the initial use of drugs also suggests a greater role for activities and interests that provide alternative ways for young people to occupy their time. Finally, while the absence of pressure to take drugs could on one level be seen as reassuring, the fact that it enables children to feel comfortable in the presence of other young people when they are using illegal drugs brings other potential dangers by increasing the opportunity and temptation for them to follow suit.

Preteen children and illegal drugs

In this paper we report the results of research on the nature and extent of legal and illegal drug use among preteens and those factors associated with illegal drug use at this young age. The paper is based upon a survey of 2318 ten to twelve year olds in Glasgow and Newcastle. Overall around 30% of children reported having been exposed to illegal drugs and 3.9% had started to use illegal drugs. There was a significant difference in the level of illegal drug use between our two cities. In most cases the illegal drug use identified on the part of preteens related to cannabis although in a small number of instances children were using heroin, cocaine and LSD. On the basis of this research we estimate that around 60 children in the ten to twelve age range will have used heroin in Glasgow and around 34 pupils will have used the drug in Newcastle. Preteen drug use was significantly associated with frequent smoking and alcohol consumption, with preteens’ involvement in a range of problem behaviours, and with family difficulties including the presence of someone else within the family using illegal drugs. The paper concludes by noting some of the challenges that are likely to be faced by services seeking to support children who are using illegal drugs by their preteens.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Illegal Drugs in a Sample of Pre-teenage Children

While it has become apparent that increasing numbers of pre-teenage children are experimenting with illegal drugs, relatively little is known about the drug-related knowledge and attitudes of this age group. This paper describes the knowledge and perceptions of illegal drugs held by a sample of 216 pre-teenage children in Glasgow and Newcastle. While about a quarter of the children thought that illegal drugs were equally bad, the remainder were able to differentiate between them to varying degrees. In particular, cannabis was frequently regarded as being less harmful than other illicit drugs, especially by those who had used the drug themselves. The childrens knowledge of illegal drugs as a whole was found to be limited, vague and often erroneous. The challenges which the childrens knowledge and perceptions of drugs present for drug education are discussed.

Pre-Teenage Pupils' Experiences of Education in School on the Subject of Illegal Drugs.

There is mounting evidence that the age at which children are using and becoming exposed to illegal drugs is declining and that such use and exposure is becoming an increasing problem within pre‐teenage populations. This suggests that there is an important role for drug education in primary schools in encouraging and helping young children to avoid the use of these substances. However, very little is known about what pre‐teenage children think about the education they receive on the subject of illegal drugs and how well they think it addresses their needs. This paper reports on what a sample of 216, 10‐12‐year‐old schoolchildren had to say about the education they had received on illegal drugs. While their views were broadly positive, they expressed a desire for additional information in relation to the nature of these drugs and how to avoid them. They also had clear preferences as far as the delivery of this education was concerned. The paper concludes by suggesting that pre‐teenage children may require more education on the nature of illegal drugs and how to avoid them than they currently receive. Approaches to drug education which involve interactive methods, visual resources and the use of outside contributors with specialist or personal knowledge of drugs are recommended.

Pre-Teenage Children's Strategies for Avoiding Situations in Which They Might Be Exposed to Drugs.

This paper explores the ways in which pre-teenage children try to avoid coming into contact with illegal drugs and then examines the factors and circumstances that facilitate or impede their efforts to achieve this. Their main strategy of avoiding certain groups or individuals was complicated by the fluid nature of young peoples social groups and the unpredictable nature of their activities. Children who lived in areas in which illegal drugs were prevalent found it especially difficult to avoid coming into contact with them. While it was relatively easy for a child to avoid making friends with someone who was using drugs, the situation in which an existing friend started to use illegal drugs was much more difficult to deal with. The paper concludes that, while children should be encouraged to avoid certain groups and situations as their first line of defence, the problematic nature of this activity means that it is also essential that they continue to be provided with the skills necessary to deal effectively with situations in which illegal drugs are available.