Youth as Active Agents in Prevention: training experience with undergraduate students

Authors

1.Dr. Carmen Orte (⚑ Spain) 1

2.Dr. María Valero (⚑ Spain) 1

3.Dr. Marga Vives (⚑ Spain) 1

4.Dr. Belén Pascual (⚑ Spain) 1

1. University of the Balearic Islands

Abstract

“Youth as Active Agents in Prevention” is a Positive Youth Development project, with a design based on recommendations by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The main objective of this training is providing undergraduate students with skills and strategies in order to empower them and help them to take an active role in prevention activities. The training experience consists of seven structured sessions, lasting approximately 25 hours.

The sample was made up 66 Social Education undergraduates (M=21.83 years old), and the study was based on a quasi-experimental design, with pre-post measurements and control group. The main instrument that was used was Competea and only the intrapersonal skills dimension was considered. For the assessment of substance abuse, a frequency questionnaire on alcohol and tobacco use was applied.

Regarding results, there are statistically significant differences between tobacco users and non-users in their emotional stability pre-test scores, t(64)=2.19, p=.032, and in their resistance to adversity pre-test scores, t(64)=3.14, p=.003. Statistically significant differences are observed between alcohol consumers and non-consumers in self-control and emotional stability in the pre-test, t(64)=2.26 p=.02, and in the post-test t(64)=2.99 p=.004 . Statistically significant differences are also observed in self-confidence at post, t(64)=2.79 p=.007, and resistance to adversity at post, t(64)= 2.88 p=.005.

Statistically significant differences were found in pre-test and post-test comparisons in tobacco users in self-control and emotional stability, t(23)=2.23, p=.03, and resistance to adversity, t(23)=2.67, p=.01. In the case of alcohol consumers, only statistically significant differences were found in resistance to adversity, t(56)=2.15, p=.03.

In conclusion, differences were identified in the intrapersonal variables for users and non-users at the beginning of the programme, with lower scores for the users. However, in substance users, the skills training seemed to bring about improvements in some of the analysed variables by the end of the study (post-test).