Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The use of drugs is as old as human history and for centuries people have been\nengaged in fruitless attempts to combat drug abuse. Efforts aimed at attaining a\ndrug-free world is a continuous battle that seems to be destined for failure. Dagga\nis the drug most commonly used globally and locally. The problem with dagga\nspecifically, is that many young people perceive it as a socially acceptable drug and\nknowledge of accompanying risks is limited. Moreover, intervention strategies do\nnot take these perceptions and myths into account.\nNo recent local research providing an account of adolescents perceptions of dagga\nwas found to exist, yet many intervention strategies and campaigns are launched\nand large amounts of money are spent on anti-drug campaigns. In order to plan\nintervention strategies relating to changing policies and adapting intervention\nstrategies, it is necessary to understand the perceptions of adolescents regarding\nthe implications of dagga use.\nYoung people are the future policy makers and by including them in the process,\nprospective victory in the war against drugs could be attained by adopting a different\nframe of reference. The person-centred approach was thus chosen as the\nappropriate theory because it postulates that in order to bring about change, the\nperceptions and frame of reference of people must be taken into account.\nThe aim of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of adolescent boys\nregarding the implications of dagga use. Purposive sampling was employed to\nselect ten participants between the ages of 16 and 18, who attend a high school in\nPretoria. An interview schedule was used to guide the process of data collection\nthrough one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study suggested that adolescent boys base their knowledge of\ndagga on experiential learning and modelling by peers rather than information\nobtained from parents, teachers and other professionals. Dagga use was seen by\nadolescents as a safe and socially acceptable means to relax and to socialise.\nParticipants viewed dagga use as an isolated occurrence that did not have a\nsignificant effect on their micro-, meso-, or exosystems. The participants\nacknowledged that dagga use had negative effects on the family. However, they\nbelieved that the effects are exaggerated because adults have limited knowledge\nabout dagga.\nThe significance of the findings lay in the fact that current interventions and\neducational campaigns regarding dagga have had little to no effect on adolescents \nperceptions so far. In order to plan effective intervention strategies, adolescents \nperceptions must be considered. Young people must also be included in the\nplanning and evaluation of such interventions.
Author: M. van Niekerk
Language: English
Topic: Youth, Drugs, and Violence
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2537041161