Substance Abuse And Alcohol Abuse - 2545 Words

Adolescence is the period when children socially grow and develop into adults. It is also during this time, that many children start to experiment with drugs and alcohol. According to Dictionary.com, substance abuse is â€Å"long-term, pathological use of alcohol or drugs, characterized by daily intoxication, inability to reduce consumption, and impairment in social or occupational functioning; broadly, alcohol or drug addiction.† While many adolescents may just experiment, addiction and abuse of substances is a very real possibility. Sharma found that most drug and alcohol users began using between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. The most common reasons given to them for initiation were peer influence, curiosity, and sense of growth (2015).†¦show more content†¦These reasons are dangerous to any person but have extra danger to a socially developing adolescent. Children in this age range should not have to depend on a mind-altering substance to learn to manage stres s, be friends with their peers, or feel good. These life skills need to be developed naturally with no help from addictive substances. If a person uses a crutch at the time of development, it will be harder to feel good, socialize, cope with stress, and find belonging later in life without the crutch. This is why adolescent substance abuse is something that children should be educated on and helped correctly if a habit does form. If helped incorrectly, the negative reaction could do more harm than good for the socially developing adolescent. Risk Behavior Perception Since substance abuse and experimentation begins around the time of adolescence, school counselors must know how to deal with it and other risk behaviors. Counselors need to look for signs of danger, be aware of them, and know how intervene if necessary. Nagel, Scherer, and Lee interviewed public high school and middle school counselors about their perceptions on adolescent risk behavior. Nagel et al. measured the counselor’s perceptions on substance abuse, delinquency, risky sexual behavior, and sensation seeking. The results showed that school counselors considered substance abuse more serious and critical than other risk taking