Support for children and young people

Children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and often need help to protect themselves.

Research studies show that the age at which children start experimenting with tobacco or alcohol or solvents is getting younger and younger. It is also indicated by the fact that drugs are abundant in society and are often used for recreational purposes. Furthermore, there is evidence that the number of incidents of child abuse – physical, mental, sexual and emotional – is high, even when we are talking about an informed public.

Young people are also a vulnerable group, as substance use and abuse is very common among them.

This may be linked both to young people’s sense of vapidity and to their lack of information on issues related to substances and use. Undoubtedly, young people face a multitude of difficulties and this is closely related to the fact that they are in a transitional period in their lives.

Transition periods are considered to be key points, which can be a a risk factor, in the sense that it creates a sense of uncertainty about what is to come, making a young person particularly vulnerable. The importance of the impact of specific risk or protective factors changes with age. For example, the family factor may be important in children, while relationships with substance-using peers may be more important in adolescents.

Research shows that key points for substance use are important transitional periods in young people’s lives. The first major transition is when they leave the safety of home and enter school. Later when they move from elementary school to high school, where they often encounter new academic and social situations, such as learning to coexist with larger groups of peers. It is at this point – in the early stages of adolescence, where they are likely to be confronted with substances for the first time.

When they enter high school, they face additional social, emotional and academic challenges. At the same time, they may be exposed to a greater availability of substance use, abuse, and substance-related social activities. These challenges can increase the risks of alcohol, cigarette and other substance use.

Because risk factors occur at each transition period, prevention planning should select programmes that enhance protective factors at each stage of development.

It is therefore important that a preventive intervention for young people should aim at supporting them on the path to autonomy, personal empowerment, strengthening the ego, developing personal self-concept, enhancing self-esteem, recognising differences, managing emotions, identifying fears and/or difficulties, improving communication with parents, as well as discussing issues related to peer relationships.In addition, it is essential that a preventive intervention focuses on information and information provision about drugs, the consequences of abuse and the acquisition of individual and social skills to resist drug use.

School is undoubtedly the place where the majority of young people can be found. However, prevention cannot be confined to the school, as there is no or no time in the timetable for other pedagogical activities because of the volume of the curriculum that needs to be covered. Often, in fact, there is often no real agreement by the pupils to participate in the programme.

Given the above, our intervention with children and young people will include

Workshops for children and young people in their free time.