Parents and Teens: Intervention for Drugs

Cases also exist where parental involvement is too much. The article, My Mother the Narc, by Sarah Childress addresses parents who are now drug testing their children at home. The article warns that, “… it (drug testing) erodes the trust between parents and children and may create a mind-set of secrecy that discourages parents from seeking professional help.” (Childress 22) This is a perfect example of the need for balance in a child’s life between parental guidance, personal experience, and environmental influences. Home drug tests are becoming more and more popular, as stated by Childress with “Online sales of the kits, which range from $15 to $25, have exploded in the last decade, with some 200 Web sites aimed at parents.”(Childress, 22). An example of such a website is Drug Test Your Teen. I am not saying that I do not agree with parents drug testing their kids, as I believe that this is a very effective and positive way to maintain awareness over a child. In some cases, however, parents go to the extreme.

It is now possible for parents to simply collect hair from their children (as little as “30 to 40 strands of hair” (Drug Test Lets Parents Check up on Kids by Cheryl Chan) and submit the strands for information on the types of drugs being used and how often they are used without the kids knowing. Why isn’t this effective? Such an act could cause serious mistrust between the parent(s) and child(ren), destroying respect and giving an opening gap to serious rebellion from the child(ren). “It’s the parent’s job to monitor, but it needs to be open and discussed … Trust has to be built. It’s better than having to spy on your kids.” (Chan)

The debate on the amount of parental involvement with the behavior of children is vast. A great number of parents find themselves unprepared or unwilling to educate their children on the controversial and difficult subject of drug use, often because the parent believes the child will be educated at school or through other authority. “Parents, if you want to raise drug-free kids, you cannot outsource your responsibility to their schools or law enforcement.” (Califano Jr. 208). Other parents decide that absolute control must be taken over their children, even if it means sneaking drug tests instead of openly communicating.

Do I think that parental involvement is an extremely important factor in a child’s life, especially when it comes to educating about substance abuse? Absolutely. Do I think that parents should be so involved that they practically have cameras (or microscopes) and spies on their children at all times? Absolutely not. Children need a chance to grow and explore on their own with parents simply guiding, educating, and positively influencing along the way. Parents who are unsure of how to guide a child have many resources, from online forums discussing drug education for children to books and articles published specifically on the subject. There is no excuse for ignorance; it’s not only our own children who will suffer.