Prevention of Substance Abuse among Minority Children

 

Introduction

In contemporary society, despite the considerable progress that has been made when it comes to the status of minority groups, children from the latter communities tend to remain vulnerable to a number of issues. Among these is that they have a higher chance of getting involved in substance abuse, being victims of various forms of abuse, and have poor academic performance. These circumstances come about mainly because of the development of the considerable disadvantage that members of these communities have in society. most members of minority communities tend to live in areas that are not only poorer, but are also prone to crime because of the considerable unemployment rate as well as the lack of education for many individuals; most of who dropped out of school early.

These communities are also often victims of discrimination based on their backgrounds and this creates a situation where their children end up growing up at a disadvantage because they do not have the same privileges that their counterparts from the majority communities have. A result of this situation is that these children are forced into crime and substance abuse at a very early stage in their lives because not only do they not have role models within their own communities to motivate them towards achieving more, but they end up feeling that it is the expectation that they get involved in such activities. furthermore, these children, because of their backgrounds where they witness their parents and other adults abuse substances, end up not being able to concentrate on their academics and their performance in the latter is often below average. This paper seeks to show that while minority children are more vulnerable to substance abuse and poor academic performance, steps to ensure that there is prevention and interventions can help to bring an end to such problems.

Group Leadership Approaches

Group leadership is a critical aspect of making sure that there is the advancement of preventive measures for the problems that minority children are vulnerable to. One of the most pertinent approaches is charismatic leadership, which is aimed at making sure that the children involved are motivated towards not only being a part of the group, but are also encouraged to open up concerning their backgrounds and the difficulties that they have face in their lives. It is also an essential means of helping promote greater participation in group activities in such a way that they are able to overcome their vulnerabilities and instead achieve the assistance that they need. Another form of leadership that is essential in the achievement of the stated goal of preventing substance abuse and the improvement of academic performance among minority children is mentorship, which can be brought about through transformational leadership (Perreault, Cohen, & Blanchard, 2016). It is critical that those individuals that are selected to spearhead interventions are those that are not only from within their own communities, but have also achieved success in their lives. This ensures that they have a role model that can be used to promote a situation where they realize that they are also capable of achieving similar success. It is also pertinent that these children are mentored by those individuals in whom they have confidence and is from a similar background so that it becomes possible for them to be motivated towards the achievement of an improved status of life than they have currently (Slater, Evans, & Turner, 2016). The achievement of these goals through the leadership styles mentioned has the potential of improving the lives of the children involved to such an extent that they are better able to avoid those instances where they are attracted to substance abuse while at the same time focusing more on their academics as a means of improving their circumstances.

Legal and Ethical Issues

It is critical that during therapy, there is recognition that knowledge is no longer absolute and that all decisions that are made should be based on the benefits that are going to be derived from the process. Furthermore, the participant in the therapy, rather than being subordinate to the therapist, are supposed to be considered equal partners because it ensures that there is the advancement of confidence in the patient concerning the entire process while at the same time promoting a situation where there is greater openness (Sori & Hecker, 2015). The therapist no longer has absolute authority over their patient, and instead, it is critical that there is the advancement of the patient-therapist relationship. The group therapy process is one that has to be considered extremely confidential, especially when it comes to the therapist, because it involves a considerable number of individuals who are essentially opening up their private lives to one another. In addition, under such circumstances, the therapist has to recognize that he is no longer the exclusive agent of each patient because in a group therapy, he ends up acting as the facilitator rather than the agent (Boniolo & Sanchini, 2016). Instead, there is need to make sure that the interests of the entire group are considered at all times because it leads to a situation where there is the improvement of the lives of all participants in the group. It is also critical that the therapist conducts himself in the most professional manner possible and to avoid any malpractices that might end up hindering the recovery of their patients. Among the most significant ethical issues is based on the need to avoid such instances as patient abandonment, which might end up hindering or interfering with the process that will promote the healing of the patients involved.

Cultural Factors

It is essential to make sure that when handling cases concerning minority children, there is consideration of the cultural backgrounds of the individuals involved. This is especially the case considering that these children come from cultures that are for the most part not integrated into the mainstream and are only practiced within their respective communities. It is critical that there is constant consideration of the unique background of each of the individuals involved in the group therapy because it ensures that there is not only cultural sensitivity, but also a greater understanding of these cultures (Hook et al., 2016). Furthermore, it is essential that there is the advancement of initiatives aimed at bringing about a greater understanding of the cultural sensitivities themselves and through this understanding creates means through which to conduct the group therapy itself. It is also critical that the therapist puts cultural relativism in mind during the group therapy process in such a way that promotes a situation where there is an understanding of the way that different communities consider life. Rather than being critical of the different viewpoints of the participants based on their own cultures, the therapist has the responsibility of making sure that these viewpoints are integrated into the therapy with the aim of helping these children come to terms with their own culture and how the latter can help them advance in life (Ratts, Singh, Nassar‐McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2016). The achievement of cultural relativity ensures that no culture is made superior to the other and instead, the participants come to feel that their cultures are on an equal footing to the mainstream one. This provides them with the confidence to not only continue with the therapy sessions, but also allows them to become active participants in such a way that enhances their recovery process and giving them confidence concerning how to conduct their lives.

Conclusion

This paper seeks to show that while minority children may be at risk of substance abuse and poor academic performance, interventions can help them recover from such incidents. The interventions that are proposed are based on the need to make sure that these children are involved in group therapy sessions which have the ability to make them meet individuals facing the same situations and come to terms with them. Furthermore, it is important that the therapist observes both the legal and ethical issues that might arise during the therapy sessions and take into consideration the consequences of all their actions on the welfare of their patients. Finally, it will be necessary to put into consideration all the cultural factors that might affect the therapy. This can be done through the practice of cultural relativism, which has the potential of making all the participants feel confident in themselves so that they are more forthcoming with information that can help them recover more efficiently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Boniolo, G., & Sanchini, V. (2016). Ethical Counselling and Medical Decision-making in the Era of Personalised Medicine: A Practice-oriented Guide: Springer.

Hook, J. N., Farrell, J. E., Davis, D. E., DeBlaere, C., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Utsey, S. O. (2016). Cultural humility and racial microaggressions in counseling. Journal of counseling psychology, 63(3), 269.

Perreault, D., Cohen, L. R., & Blanchard, C. M. (2016). Fostering transformational leadership among young adults: a basic psychological needs approach. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 21(3), 341-355.

Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar‐McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2016). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.

Slater, M. J., Evans, A. L., & Turner, M. J. (2016). Implementing a social identity approach for effective change management. Journal of Change Management, 16(1), 18-37.

Sori, C. F., & Hecker, L. L. (2015). Ethical and legal considerations when counselling children and families. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 36(4), 450-464.