A strategic framework for managing substance abuse amongst adolescent learners in girls schools

Abstract

This study investigated the management of substance abuse at a girls school. The researcher used a qualitative approach and designed the research as a single case study. Multiple data collection methods such as literature study, in-depth interviews, focus groups and qualitative questionnaires were used. This allowed triangulation, which ensured the validity and reliability of the research. To ensure the sampling of information-rich participants, criterion-based purposive sampling was used. The research findings on current management practices, factors that contribute to substance abuse, reasons for and effects of substance abuse and a strategic framework for managing substance abuse were based on an analysis of legal prescripts and information extracted through interviews, focus group discussions, and questionnaires. From the literature, it is evident that current trends in substance abuse management strategies in schools include the use of generic prevention approaches such as information dissemination, affective education and alternatives programming. Common intervention measures currently employed by schools include SBIRT, CRAFFT screening tool, the Student assistant programme, Project CHOICE, Curriculum in a box and school-based health centres. Involving school counsellors and educators was identified as essential to ensure effective regressionprevention. The fieldwork further brought to the fore that substance abuse was on the rise at School A. Participants indicated that they do not have knowledge of the relevant legal prescripts regarding the management of substance abuse. Factors that hamper learners at School A’s regression-prevention include individual variables such as psychiatric comorbidity, a lack of family interest, continued influence of substance-using peers and poor coping skills. It was further found that there were insufficient affordable, easily accessible rehabilitation facilities, school counsellors and psychologists to provide expert help to learners involved in substance abuse. Learner participants emphasized in particular the need for their parents to play a more active role in their lives and to work with the school. The findings were used to inform the development of a strategic framework for managing substance abuse amongst adolescent learners in schools for girls. The constituting elements of this strategic framework covered prevention, intervention, and regression-prevention strategies. The strategy was not only informed by the empirical findings, but also by the law and policy framework in which substance abuse should be managed as well as the theories on the causes of substance abuse and on substance abuse prevention, intervention, and regression-prevention. The law and policy framework focuses on substance abuse as a human rights, school safety, school health, and school discipline issue. The theoretical framework focuses on generic and specific strategies for prevention, intervention, and regression-prevention.

Hierdie studie ondersoek die bestuur van substansiemisbruik by 'n meisieskool. Die navorser het 'n kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik en die navorsing as 'n enkele gevallestudie ontwerp. Veelvuldige dataversamelingsmetodes soos literatuurstudie, diepgaande onderhoude, fokusgroepe en kwalitatiewe vraelyste is gebruik. Dit het triangulasie moontlik gemaak wat die geldigheid en betroubaarheid van die navorsing verseker het. Om die steekproefneming van inligtingryke deelnemers te verseker, is kriteriagebaseerde doelgemaakte steekproefneming gebruik. Die navorsingsbevinding oor huidige bestuurspraktyke, faktore wat tot substansiemisbruik bygedra het, redes vir en uitwerking van substansiemisbruik en 'n strategiese raamwerk vir die bestuur van substansiemisbruik is gegrond op 'n ontleding van wettige voorskrifte en inligting wat uit onderhoude, fokusgroepe en vraelyste verkry. Uit die literatuur is dit duidelik dat huidige neigings in bestuurstrategieë vir substansiemisbruik in skole die gebruik van generiese voorkomingsbenaderings soos verspreiding van inligting, doeltreffende onderrig en alternatiewe programme insluit. Algemene intervensiemaatreëls wat tans by skole gebruik word, sluit SBIRT, CRAFFT-siftingshulpmiddel, die studenteassistentprogramprojek CHOICE, kurrikulum-in-'n-boks en skoolgebaseerde gesondheidsentrums in. Deur skoolberaders te betrek, is opvoeders as noodsaaklik geïdentifiseer om doeltreffende regressievoorkoming te verseker. Die veldwerk het verder aangedui dat substansiemisbruik by Skool A toegeneem het. Deelnemers het aangedui dat hulle nie kennis van die relevante wettige voorskrifte vir die bestuur van substansiemisbruik het nie. Faktore wat leerders by Skool A se regressievoorkoming verhinder het, sluit individuele veranderlike soos psigiatriese komorbiditeite, gebrek aan gesinsbelange, volgehoue invloed van portuur wat substansies gebruik en swak hanteringsvaardighede in. Daar is verder bevind dat daar onvoldoende bekostigbare, toeganklike rehabilitasiefasiliteite, skoolberaders en sielkundiges is om kundige hulp te bied aan leerders wat by substansiemisbruik betrokke is. Deelnemende leerders het spesifiek die behoefte beklemtoon dat hul ouers 'n meer aktiewe rol in hul lewens moet speel en saam met die skool moet werk. Die bevinding is gebruik om 'n strategiese raamwerk oor substansiemisbruik onder tiener leerders in meisieskole te ontwikkel. Die elemente van hierdie strategiese raamwerk sluit voorkoming-, intervensie- en regressievoorkomingstrategieë in. Die strategie is nie net deur die empiriese bevindings beïnvloed nie, maar ook deur die wet en beleidraamwerk waarin substansiemisbruik bestuur moet word asook die teorieë oor die oorsaak van substansiemisbruik en oor voorkoming, intervensie en regressievoorkoming van substansiemisbruik. Die wet en beleidraamwerk fokus op substansiemisbruik as 'n menseregte-, skoolveiligheids-, skoolgesondheids- en skooldissiplinekwessie. Die teoretiese raamwerk fokus op die generiese en spesifieke strategieë vir voorkoming, intervensie en regressievoorkoming

Lolu cwaningo luphenye ngokuphathwa kwezidakamizwa esikoleni esinamantombazane kuphela. Umcwaningi usebenzise indlela yekhwalithethivu noma yesimo wabe eseklama ucwaningo lwakhe njengocwaningo lwesigameko. Kusetshenziswe izindlela eziningi zokuqoqa idatha noma imininingwane njengocwaningo lwezincwadi, izingxoxo ezijulile eziyi-inthavyu, amaqembu okugxilwe kuwo kanye nohlu lwemibuzo olusezingeni eliphezulu. Lokhu kwavumela ukuqinisekisa ulwazi ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene, okuqinisekisa ukufaneleka nokwethembeka kocwaningo. Ukuqinisekisa amasampula anolwazi olucebile lwababambiqhaza, kusetshenziswe amasampula okuhloswe ngawo okusekelwe kumbandela. Okutholwe ocwaningweni ngezinqubo zokuphatha zamanje, izizathu nemiphumela enomthelela ekusebenziseni kabi izidakamizwa, kanye nohlaka lwesu lokulawula ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa kusekelwe ekuhlaziyweni kwemiyalelo yezomthetho nolwazi olukhishwe kuma-inthavyu, izingxoxo zamaqembu okugxilwe kuwo, kanye nohlu lwemibuzo. Kusukela emibhalweni, kuyabonakala ukuthi izitayela zamanje zamasu okulawula ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa ezikoleni zihlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwezindlela zokuvimbela ezijwayelekile ezifana nokusatshalaliswa kolwazi, imfundo eyimpumelelo nezinye izinhlelo. Izindlela zokungenelela ezivamile ezisetshenziswa izikole njengamanje zifaka i-SBIRT, ithuluzi lokuhlola i-CRAFFT, Uhlelo Lokusiza Lwabafundi, UKUKHETHA Iprojekthi, Ikharikhulamu esebhokisini kanye nezikhungo zezempilo ezisekelwe ezikoleni. Kubandakanya abeluleki bezikole, kuye kwahlonzwa othisha njengababalulekile ababalulekile ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukugwema uhlelo lokuzisola okuphumelelayo. Umsebenzi waphinde waveza ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa kuyanda eSikoleni A.. Ababambiqhaza babonise ukuthi abanalo ulwazi lwemithetho efanelekile ephathelene nokulawulwa kokusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa. Izinto ezithikameza ukugwema uhlelo lokuzisola kwabafundi eSikoleni A zihlanganisa okuguquguqukayo okufana nokugula ngengqondo, ukuntula uthando noma intshisekelo yomndeni, umthelela oqhubekayo kontanga abasebenzisa izidakamizwa kanye namakhono angemahle okubhekana nezinkinga. Kuphinde kwatholakala ukuthi izinsiza ezifinyelelekayo ngokwezimali ezanele, izinsiza zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo noma ukuziphatha azifinyeleleki kalula, abeluleki bezikole kanye nongoti bezengqondo ukuze banikeze usizo lochwepheshe kubafundi ababandakanyeka ekusebenziseni kabi izidakamizwa abatholakali kalula. Abafundi ababambe iqhaza bagcizelele ikakhulukazi isidingo sokuthi abazali babo babambe iqhaza elibonakalayo ezimpilweni zabo futhi basebenze nesikole. Imiphumela yasetshenziswa ukwazisa ukwakhiwa kohlaka lwesu lokulawula ukusetshenziswa kwezidakamizwa phakathi kwabafundi abasakhula ezikoleni zamantombazane kuphela. Izingxenye ezakha lolu hlaka lwesu zihlanganisa ukuvimbela, ukungenelela, namasu okuvimbela uhlelo lokuzisola. Lelisu alizange lenziwe nje kuphela ngalokho okutholwe ngokoqobo, kodwa ngomthetho kanye nohlaka lwenqubomgomo okufanele kulawulwe ngalo ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa kanye nemibono ngezimbangela zokusebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa kanye nokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa, ukungenelela, kanye nokuvimbela uhlelo lokuzisola. Umthetho kanye nohlaka lwenqubomgomo lugxile ekusebenziseni kabi izidakamizwa njengamalungelo abantu, ukuphepha kwesikole, impilo yesikole, kanye nodaba lokuziphatha esikoleni. Uhlaka lwethiyori lugxile kumasu ajwayelekile kanye naqondile okuvimbela, ukungenelela, nokuvimbela ukuzisola.