Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Dana Scott Mills
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
activities, alcohol prevention, authoritative parenting, behavior consequences, bulletin, caring parents, directory, engaged parents, involvement, literature review, monitoring, newsletter, Parent Network, parent leaders, parent involvement, parenting tips, rules, school leaders, substance use, substance use prevention, survey results, teen alcohol prevention, teen activities, teen substance use, teens, uninvolved parents, youth prevention
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to help parents prevent teen substance use. School leaders and parents were concerned about the high teen substance use by teens. A review of the literature showed that involved and caring parents who monitored their teen’s activities had a positive impact on helping prevent substance use.
The writer worked with school and parent leaders to develop a Parent Network. A directory was written to provide parenting tips and phone numbers so parents could contact each other. Parent leaders recruited other parents to join the Network. Parents were not interested in attending activities, so a parent bulletin/newsletter was created with parenting and substance use prevention articles.
Survey results demonstrated that Network parents were involved parents who monitored their teens’ activities and had clear rules and consequences for negative behavior. Most of their teens reported never having used substances in their lifetime. Little was learned about how to reach or engage uninvolved parents or parents of substance users because they had not joined the Network.