Substance Abuse Behaviors

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Protecting Students Against Substance Abuse Behaviors Integrating Personal and Social Skills into Physical Education DANIEL B. HOLLANDER

RALPH 1. WOOD

EDWARD R HEBERT

ubstance use and abuse are major health threats for adolescents, and a culture of drug use is prevalent in the United States (Kann et al., 2000; Newcomb & Bentler, 1989). Many Americans rely on substances to complete their daily tasks, including having a cup of coffee to wake up in the morning and'a'"drinkn to relax after a long day of work. In school, teaching students about such health issues is often viewed as a concern of health teachers. 'While the goals of physical education primarily focus on motor skill development and developing a healthy level of physical fitness, the physical educator can also play an integral role in students' a d o p tion of other positive health behaviors that will influence their health-related choices throughout life (McKenzie & Richmond, 1998;National Association for Sport and Physical Education [NASPE], 1995; Seefeldt, 1998).

part of a group of professionals working together to improve students' health is less apparent Schools and school systems can implement :uch a cooperative assodatiyn by using the comprehen$ivk' [or Coordinated) School Health Program (CSHP)as an organizationalmdel. The CSHP is a Framework for the delivery of health services. It is composed of eight components: health education services, school health services, school nutrition services, school counseling services, a healthy school environment, family and community involvement, health promotion for the school staff, and physical education (Birch & Kane. 1999; McKenzie & Richmond, 1988). In the CSHP model, each component plays an integral role in helping students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to become healthy adults.

md personal competence, known as he Personal and Social Competence Model (Fern, 1991; Fetro & Drolet, ?OOO). This approach builds on resile n q theory and positive youth deveIIpment and focuses on the develop nent of genericskills that can address lot only substance use, but all health isk behaviors (Bernard, 1991; Pimnan k Cahill, 1992). These skills of per;and and social competence indude :ommunication, decisionmaking, goalie* and stress management (Fetro Sc Ddet, 2000).Apersonal and social ;kiIls approach is based on the idea hat students, by developing these ;kills,will be more capable of making healhy choices.

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Physical Education' in the Comprehensive School Health Program

The Personal and Social Skills Approach

Developing students' abilities so that they can become healthy adults is a Physical education has always played a complex undertaking, which requires role in the development of health- more than just increasing their knowlrelated attitudes and behaviors, most edge of health topics. Recently, effecoften those associated with physical tive substance abuse prevention proactivity. However, the extent to which grams have been grounded in a conphysical educators view themselves as ceptual frameworkfor building social MavIJune 2003 JOPERD Vol. 74 No. 5

Megrating Personal and Social Skills W e substance abuse is not a cenual topic in physical education, several goals of physical education align with the goals of GSHP and can be linked l social skills needed to the p e ~ o n aand to prevent substance abuse (Seefeldt, 1998).These physical education goals include the achievement and rnaintenance of a health-enhancing level of physical fitness,the demonstration of responsible personal and social behavior, the development of an understanding and respect for the differences

among people, and participation in physical activities that provide enjoyment, challenges, self-expression,and social interaction. This alignment of goals and skills makes it possible and advisable for physical educators to integrate these personal and social skills into their curriculum. The following paragraphs suggest some ways in which such integration can be accomplished. Communication. One basic skill learned in the personal and social skills framework is how to communicate effectively. According to Fetro and Drolet (2000), students who possess a variety of communication skills, including the ability to initiate conversations and to express their feelings and values, are more likely to have a higher level of self-efficacy and a greater ability to deliver effective refusal statements. Team sports and small group activities, which are common in physical education, allow physical educators to provide many opportunities for students to learn effective communication skills. In order to execute effective strategies, team members must communicate to synchronize their movements with: their- teLmmates. Physical education programs and units that are organized using the sport education model (Siedentop, 1994) are characterized by meaningful and goaloriented communication between students as they work on team strategies, plan and play games, and organize tournaments. The reciprocal style of teaching (Mosston &Ashworth, 1994), in which students learn to provide and. receive peer feedback, is another example of a common physical education strategy associated with high levels of communication among students. Early in the school year, physical educators who want to develop students' communication skills could lead them through basic activities that require them to initiate a conversation, to follow directions, to resolve conflict, and to use nonverbal communication in delivering messages. The communication skills learned in physical education can easily transfer to other areas of daily life and help students make

Donnelly et al. (1999) suggested that physical educators engage students in activities that help them become more amenable to thinking critically (e.g-, be more willing to take risks). They also provided three other suggestions: (1) create learning activiSeveral goals of ties in which students are given situaphysical education tions in which they need to analyze and use problem-solving skills, (2) can he !inked to the encourage them to a-eate different ways of performing various motor personal and social tasks, and (3) end lessons with "deskills needed to briefing sessions" in which ideas are discussed and compared. Sports and prevent substance games are filledwith opportunities for students to plan, implement, and abuse. evaluate game strategies. McBride and Carrill0 (2000) also offered suggestions for incorpomting critical thinking into fitness units. They believed D e c i s i o n d g . Activities and teach- that planning and implementing exing strategies for developing decision- ercise routines, which is a time-honmaking skills require students to think ored teaching approach in fitnesscritically and solve problems. Making based. physical education, offers ansound decisions enables students to other method in which students could examine their harmful behiviors, to evaluate their attitudes toward physievaluate. iriem;d and external influ- cal activity and use cognitive material ences, a i d to identify the short- and to develop critical-thinking skills. To long-term. consequences of their extend these critical-thinking activichoices, &us making it essential for ties, instructors could have students healthy development (Fetro & Drolet, discuss the reasons behind their deci2000). Physical education is also an sions, evaluate their plans and .soluexcellent environment for the devel- tions, and make connections between opment of critical-thinking skills, critical thinking done in physical eduwhich include game strategies, group cation and in other areas of their life. problem-solving, and technique analyGoal-setting.The majority of young sis. In a review of critical thinking, people make decisions based on their McBride (1992) held that the litera- perceptions of immediate benefits, ture to date had "addressed critical rather than on long-term consethinking only within the context of quences (Fetro & Drolet, 2000). By the traditional classroom setting," and providing students opportunities that had not yet addressed the "possibility encourage the development of goalof fostering and reinforcing critical setting skills, teachers can help them thinking in physicai educationw (p. realize the importance of making 116). Since the review, the process of persona1 decisions and planning for encouraging critical thinking in physi- the future. Setting and working tocal education has been a topic of much ward g d s is a familiar practice for debate, and several authors have pro- physical educators, and once again, vided examples of how this might be physical education is a natural enviaccomplished. In addition, research ronment for developing these skills. has documented that physical educa- Lifetime fitness activitiessuch as resistors can m e their teaching styles tance training, walking, jogging, and in order to enable students to think swimming all involve the crucial skill more criticalll; in physical education of goaljetting. In addition, setting goals is a major focus of physical fit(Donnelly, Helion, & Fry, 1999). better decisions regarding physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices.

Vol. 74 No. 5 JOPERD MayIJune 2003

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ness testing. Modern assessment strategies in physical education also include setting and working toward goals. Phvsical educators who want their students to develop this set of skills may introduce the concept of goal-setting early in the school year, mixing health-related decisions with those focusing on exercise and sport skills. In addition, having students write realistic goals on paper and then track their own progress enhances accountability, reinforces effort, and helps them acquire the knowledge and skills to develop important goalsetting behaviors, which characterize the decisions and behaviors of healthy adults. This procedure can also reduce academic stress and lead to clearly defined goals that help students reduce the uncertainty of expectations from physical educators. Stress Management. Stressful situations play a dominant role in adolescent substance use and abuse. Stressmanagement skills are those that provide students with opportunities to identify stressful situations and sources of stress, to brainstorm c o p ing strategies, and to idenufy how support networks can help them respond positivelywhen faced'kih stress (Feuo & Drolet, 2000). For many years, participation in physical activity has been considered a stress-management technique, and physical education provides students with numerous opportunities to develop and practice stressmanagement skills. Furthermore, there are many aspects of middle school and high school physical education that cause stress for students (Portrnan, 1995; Smith & Goc Karp, 1996). During adolescence, many teens become preoccupied with the changes occurring in their bodies, and they are faced, perhaps for the first time, with changing clothes in locker rooms before and after physical education class. Physical education class is also unique because of the ease in which students can determine their performance status in relation to others. Students, especially those with lower skills levels, often describe the stress as "being on stage," performing MayIJune 2003 JOPERD Vol. 74 No. 5

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- Table 1. Symptoms of Adolesmnt Drug Use and Abuse ?,"-.'I -

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Physiological Symptoms Nausea * # Chills * # Tremors, shaking * # SlmedspeeCh*# Tachycardia * # Impaired coordination * # ,ElevatedorhveredMood~*# Extreme weight loss * #

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. . . . . . . . Psychological Symptoms - . Rapid mood swings * # ...... . . . . . .. ...ck:,, :.;-? -. . . . . Agitation or hostile behavior * # . . . . : .:.: :.:-,;-;.$ : *... i.:.... : . . . , ... ~. - .~ Feelings of hopelesmess, depressicm, andtor apathy + * # ",I- ;,: ,.:,-.! ..-

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Behavioral Symptoms Impaired judgment * # Chanm in friends +* #

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Getting into trouble with police + . Getting into tmuble school * ..-Risky behavim (d risks, driving under the influe&, .~ . ilghhg) +'?:: . . . . . . . . . .-. .+.:;< Change in sdtool PG+-+ A . .: . .. . .... .., _--.TT:.r:.:. -... ,. .. .... Constantly,&& drag &oh01'& A + ~i;3fL;& x .. -- As: . ..% . :.A. . -:,. . . . .. . Giving andlm&her e a l a r activitia + .;f;r-;;;:~. .. ..:;= .

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Sources

+ Fetro, 1991

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* Julien, 1998

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