Under pressure program: using live theatre to investigate adolescents' attitudes and behavior related to drug and alcohol abuse education and prevention

Adolescence, Spring, 1993 by L. Arthur Safer, Carol Gibb Harding

The program is based on the students' participation, both physically and intellectually. The postperformance discussion takes place in a circle, with student volunteers engaging in role play. Unlike creative drama improvisations, the action of the role play does not stem entirely from the students; they do not make up the plot or invent the characters. Instead, they are guided through a series of events in which they have a specific role and can influence what happens next. The role play is carefully geared to the students' intellectual level and experience. The theatrical elements are a means, not an end in themselves--providing a plot, suspense, dramatic climax, and characterization. The actor-teachers usually stay in character throughout, helping the students solve the various problems they encounter in the course of the "plot." The role-playing activities enable the adolescents to learn and practice social and decision-making skills. Since the actors stay in character during the discussion period, the students are given the opportunity to question the actual character about his/her ideas and actions.

Student, Faculty, Counselor, and Community Follow-up

All participants receive information regarding school-approved local counseling and social service agencies in addition to approved hot-line numbers. At the conclusion of the program, adolescents are encouraged to continue ongoing discussion in their classrooms or with their school counselor. If adolescents choose to use a hot line or agency resource, they are advised to investigate a number of agencies until they find one that provides appropriate help.

REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH

The use of mass media is often viewed as critical for providing information, changing attitudes, and modifying behavior in large numbers of people. In the past several years, there has been an increasing interest among educators in the role of the media in deglamorizing drug abuse, reinforcing non-drug-taking behavior, and promoting appropriate use of licit drugs. According to Flay (1986), a historical cycle is evident in the beliefs about the power of mass media to induce behavioral change. Yet, many scholars reject the view that the media succeed in changing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior.

Hanneman and McEwen (1973) studied the effectiveness of prevention communication. Their main thesis was that public service announcements (PSAs) have tended to be directed toward a heterogeneous audience with nonspecific informational needs. Flay (1986)also asserted that PSAs did not reach those for whom they were intended, and thus could not be expected to be effective. Sobel and Flay (1983) cited research on the conditions under which the media might best be able not only to "hit" the target audience, but also to be most influential. They suggested that the most appropriate role for mass media in preventing substance abuse is to increase the dissemination of approaches found to be effective in such settings as classrooms.

Johnson and Ettema (1982) demonstrated that children who discussed a television show viewed in the classroom evidenced more changes than children who did not discuss it. Flay (1986) emphatically argued that mass media would never be truly effective unless supplemented with complementary school-based programs which afford children the opportunity to thoughtfully discuss a prevention message. Mass media can be used as a major source of intervention; however, by themselves, "mass media programs are usually not as effective" (Flay, 1986).