Drugs Information Drugs Aren't Everywhere, Non Everybody's Doing Them As Well As Non All Teens Operate Out Drunk: The 'Rite Of Passage' Myth!

Earlier inwards the yr I wrote a slice on enquiry that works life alcohol usage had declined alongside immature Australians. Although many readers welcomed the figures together with saw them every bit a ground to celebrate our teens, sadly, some people refused to believe what they read. You entirely have got to await at some of the comments on my Facebook feed to reckon that at that topographic point are those who are never going to convey that some teens are going to brand healthier choices. Some only idea the researchers got it incorrect together with the information was inaccurate whereas others chose to believe that teens were using illicit drugs instead (even though the enquiry does non back upwardly this). Here are exactly some of the comments:

• "I don't know where y'all larn your figures from together with I dubiety the accuracy of them"
• "I discovery that a piddling difficult to believe when y'all drive around on a Sabbatum nighttime inwards the Hills Area especially where at that topographic point is a political party involving 14-17 yr olds ..."
• "Drugs. Cheap, tardily to get.....I could become on. Any other ground is exactly only beingness deluded"
• "Because they all popular pingers together with snort coke instead"
• "Its easier to larn drugs"

I also received a 'harsh' message from ane woman bring upwardly who believed strongly drinking alcohol (and experimenting with illicit drugs) was only a 'rite of passage' for immature people together with so-called enquiry findings that said anything dissimilar was ridiculous. Here is exactly ane cleaned-up department of the message (and I hateful cleaned-up - this was a rant with a lot of swear words!):

"Drinking alcohol is exactly what teens do, they e'er have got together with they e'er will. It's a rite of passage. Most of them volition also assay drugs every bit well. Drugs are everywhere (more at in ane lawsuit together with hence ever before) together with the peer pressure level to gulp together with convey drugs was around when I was a teen together with it's all the same at that topographic point for my kids."

The ane purpose of this message that riled me was the onetime chestnut - 'It's a rite of passage'. You reckon this used inwards hence many statements around teen behaviour, especially past times parents who desire to assay together with explicate away potentially risky deportment their nestling may travel involved inwards past times implying that it's exactly something that 'everyone' does at this fourth dimension inwards their life together with there's goose egg they tin practise nearly it. Going to Schoolies' events is at in ane lawsuit oftentimes referred to every bit a 'rite of passage', every bit is attendance at post-formal events for senior schoolhouse students. If y'all await at the term, it is defined every bit "a ceremony performed to facilitate or grade a person's alter of condition upon whatsoever of several highly of import occasions, every bit at the onslaught of puberty or upon entry into wedlock or into a clan." Now past times that Definition y'all tin variety of reckon how a Schoolies' lawsuit tin 'fit' - i.e., an lawsuit that marks the transition from high schoolhouse to the large broad world, but drinking alcohol or experimenting with illicit drugs? Undoubtedly, drinking alcohol and/or experimenting with illicit drugs is a purpose of adolescence for some immature people but tin it truly travel regarded every bit a 'rite of passage'?

No-one should stick their caput inwards the sand together with pretend that drinking together with drug usage doesn't happen. When it comes to alcohol inwards detail – it would travel truthful to say that most immature people volition experiment with it at some fourth dimension during their teens. However, the same cannot travel said for illegal drugs, especially when we're talking nearly teenagers. Most school-based immature people have got never tried illegal drugs, they have got no involvement inwards these substances together with they never will. Study afterward study afterward study confirms this, yet assay together with larn this fact reported inwards the media together with y'all striking a brick wall.

Interestingly, y'all oftentimes striking that really same brick wall when y'all speak to the teenagers themselves. Years ago, I had exactly finished a schoolhouse presentation, with ane of the in conclusion slides revealing the percent of immature people who have got non tried illicit drugs. One student's answer to the depression set out was especially interesting ...

"Max was a Year xi educatee together with an outspoken critical thinker. Instead of whispering to the soul side past times side to him nearly his doubts regarding the figure he stood upwardly together with argued his case. "I discovery those figures really difficult to believe," he said. "Everybody I know uses drugs. That slide exactly doesn't band truthful – where did y'all discovery those people who y'all surveyed?"
After informing him together with the balance of the grouping how the information was collected I decided to challenge him. "So everybody y'all know uses drugs?" I said. "You're inwards a room total of over 100 of your peers – are y'all maxim that every ane of these immature people inwards this room uses drugs?" "No, of course of teaching not," he replied. "I don't hateful people at school, I hateful the people I know out of school. They all usage drugs." I together with hence wanted to know what drugs he was talking nearly together with he informed me that cannabis was the drug of pick for 'everybody'.
"Give me a number," I asked him. "I desire an actual set out of the people that y'all know for a fact usage cannabis. You have got seen these people fume the drug, non only heard nearly it, or believe it to travel truthful – y'all know for a fact. Work it out together with give me the number."
It took Max quite a piece to respond together with for a piece I idea my examine was going to backfire, but he was an intelligent together with thoughtful swain together with was taking my challenge seriously. When he finally did give his respond it confirmed my belief that although he believed a considerable proportion (well, truly all of them) smoked cannabis, this was non the case.
"Five," he said!

I dearest this story! I included it inwards my 2009 mass Teenagers, Alcohol together with Drugs and used to tell it at every schoolhouse I visited together with it e'er got a slap-up reception. Of course, at that topographic point are many immature people who know far to a greater extent than than v others who have got drank alcohol or taken drugs, but I have got yet to run across whatsoever educatee who tin honestly say that 'everybody' they know does it! Unfortunately, at that topographic point is a perception out at that topographic point that, fifty-fifty alongside immature people, that most people have got used drugs together with that all drink. When y'all convey a few moments to challenge that perception y'all tin larn some truly interesting results.

There are ii words that I truly dislike that nosotros tend to overuse when talking nearly alcohol together with drugs – 'all' together with 'everybody'. If y'all exactly pass a couplet of moments to recollect nearly it y'all know that statements similar "everybody does it" together with "all teenagers become through that stage" exactly don't brand sense. Even if everyone y'all knew did 'do it' when y'all were younger (and I don’t believe that that is the case), that was your grouping and, similar it or not, your friends may non have got been the norm! 'Everybody' doesn't practise it together with non 'all' teenagers become through that phase – these generalizations demand to travel challenged together with unfortunately nosotros don't practise that enough.

Let's non forget that non all immature people are the same, this is especially truthful when it comes to attitudes together with values around alcohol together with other drugs. Even when it comes to alcohol use, y'all rapidly realize that immature people are non ane homogenous group. Teens tin travel broken downward into iii commutation categories, ii of which nosotros rarely acknowledge:

• the starting fourth dimension is the loudest together with the most obvious, those who gulp together with oftentimes gulp to excess. Evidence would advise that this grouping is getting smaller but unfortunately are consuming at riskier levels than inwards the past times together with drinking at a younger age 
• the side past times side grouping comprises those who endeavor to gulp 'responsibly'. They don't gulp regularly together with when they practise they ordinarily swallow a pocket-size amount. This does non hateful at that topographic point are no risks involved inwards their drinking behaviour, but nosotros practise demand to admit that these immature people are trying to practise 'the correct thing' 
• finally nosotros have got the abstainers. According to the data, this is a growing grouping but ane nosotros rarely speak about; inwards fact nosotros oftentimes completely ignore them, making them experience fifty-fifty to a greater extent than alienated than many of them already experience inside their peer group.

While putting together my mass I asked immature people I came inwards contact with to experience gratis to write to me with their thoughts on the topic of teens together with alcohol together with other drug use. I used many of these comments but late works life this ane that got cutting inwards the in conclusion edit ...

"As a 16-year-old, I am constantly frustrated past times accusations together with generalisations of teenagers. Apparently, nosotros are all alcoholic junkies who pass our fourth dimension vandalising, watching TV, together with terrorising the "innocent, helpless, adult citizens" of our suburbs. I have got long pilus together with a beard, which makes people's reactions to me fifty-fifty to a greater extent than obvious ... I don't steal, together with I follow a lifestyle of beingness 'straight edge', which agency I avoid alcohol together with drugs ... Although this lifestyle is non for everyone, it is an instance of what at to the lowest degree ane teenager is like. I'm sick of the icon of a "teenager" every bit beingness lazy together with out of control. If all teenagers represented the mainstream portrayal of an adolescent, together with hence I ask, who is getting the high UAIs? I mean, if we, the adults of the future, are all lazy ragamuffins, together with hence the time to come looks pretty bleak. H5N1 large part of the people who criticise the kids of today, were criticised for many of the same reasons when they were teenagers. I know this has been an angry, biased, together with non especially good written comment, but thank y'all for the chance to vocalisation my thoughts."

That's a powerful contention together with truly highlights the whole 'rite of passage' myth. Let's never forget that all immature people are different. We demand to admit that many immature people volition gulp alcohol at some fourth dimension during their adolescence together with some may experiment with ane or to a greater extent than illegal drugs. However, that does non hateful that nosotros should throw our arms upwardly inwards the air together with declare drinking together with drug usage every bit only a 'rite of passage' that all teens volition become through. That's a cop-out and, I believe, an excuse for lazy parenting. Drugs aren't everywhere, non everybody's doing them together with non all teens larn drunkard - that's an undisputable fact that all parents should concur onto ...

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