Substance abuse among adolescents continues at intolerably high levels. Research indicates that parents can provide a powerful influence over their children through warm, authoritative family management; strong attachments; positive parental modeling; and less permissive attitudes. The evidence argues convincingly for prevention programs directed specifically at parents. The workplace is an underutilized resource for targeting parents. Although prevention programs for parents exist, very few consider the adolescent's stage of development, and fewer still provide parents with opportunities for individual learning, behavior modeling, and vicarious learning using interactive, multi-media technology. Finally, few programs exist that provide these opportunities for parents at their convenience. The objective of the research is to develop and test a CD-ROM/Intemet- based adolescent substance abuse prevention program for working parents. The program will include the use of engaging video vignettes and testimonials. In Phase I, a prototype prevention program was developed and pilot- tested. Results indicated that the approach is feasible and promising. In Phase II the program modules and sections will be fully developed and field tested with a group of 500 Charter Communications employees using a randomized pretest-posttest design. Following the field test, the program will be revised and prepared to market to industry.
Parents can have a powerful influence over whether their children engage in substance abuse, yet few prevention programs exist for parents that combine opportunities for behavioral modeling and vicarious learning with the unique teaching capacity of interactive multi-media computer technology. A carefully developed, computer-based prevention program for working parents should be of considerable appeal to parents and their employers.
