תוכן הכתבה
The Key Role of Parents in Risk Prevention
Parents can significantly influence their children’s likelihood of avoiding substance use, alcohol, and other risky behaviors. Effective parenting includes:
- Clear and consistent rules
- Warm and open parent-child communication
- A trusting and supportive parent-child relationship
Conversely, adolescent behavioral problems are sometimes linked to inadequate parental guidance or weak parental involvement.
Many prevention programs in Israel target both children and parents and are based on practicing parenting skills that help meet the psychological, developmental, and social needs of children. Stakeholders involved include government ministries, local authorities, NGOs, and private parenting institutes.
Goals of Prevention Programs with Parental Involvement
Effective programs aim to:
- Identify risky behaviors among children
- Provide knowledge and awareness of the risks involved, including the parent’s role as a model
- Offer tools for warm, loving, and respectful interaction
- Teach strategies for setting clear boundaries
- Strengthen life skills, such as problem-solving, conflict management, and resisting peer pressure
- Develop parenting skills, including communication, supervision, active involvement, and family rules enforcement
- Enable parents to monitor and supervise their child’s behavior
- Provide referrals to educational, counseling, or community support services when needed
Community Initiatives: Parenting at Home
The “Parenting at Home” initiative removes barriers like transportation, schedules, or childcare by hosting prevention meetings in a parent’s home.
Implementation includes:
- Mapping parents willing to host meetings
- Recruiting other parents via “friend invites friend”
- Personal outreach highlighting the program’s goals
- Small groups of 22–32 participants for intimacy
- Responsibility sharing: local authorities provide chairs, light refreshments, branding, and municipal representatives
- Feedback collection for future sessions
- Event promotion through various media channels
- Optional participation via Zoom, considering parents’ tech skills and privacy preferences
School-Based Parent Workshops
- Workshops held in the afternoon or evening in collaboration with parent committees and school administrators
- Recruitment through official letters and personal invitations from teachers
- Workshops can follow introductory lectures on adolescent development, after which parents are invited to join structured programs
Parent Workshops in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education
- Formal programs offered to students, such as “A Day of Teal” for kindergarten, “Big Kids Don’t Drink” for grades 5–6, and OFY Program for high school
- Parallel workshops for parents enhance program impact
Community-Based Parent Workshops
- Meetings held in municipal community centers, youth centers, or public libraries
- Goal: maximize accessibility and attract more parent participation
Workshops for Parents of Children Investigated by Police
- Led by the National Authority for Community Security, Israel Police Youth Division, and Probation Services
- Titled: “By Your Side – Walking Together”
Parental-Focused Campaigns
Example: “Talk to Them – They Hear You!”
- National media campaign to prevent underage drinking
- Provides parents with information, tools, and resources
- Encourages early conversations with children
Recruiting, Retaining, and Engaging Parents
Parental involvement is critical for children’s well-being and positively impacts academic performance and behavior.
Five challenges in recruiting parents:
- Perceived susceptibility: Some parents believe their child is not at risk and may avoid participation. Solution: emphasize that all children may encounter peer pressure, curiosity, or boredom that leads to risky behaviors.
- Perceived severity: Some parents underestimate the seriousness of risky behavior. Solution: clarify potential consequences of substance use or unsafe actions.
- Perceived barriers: Time constraints, transportation, or childcare may prevent participation. Solution: remove barriers with local meetings and flexible scheduling.
- Perceived benefits: Parents are more likely to participate if they clearly see benefits for themselves, their children, and their families.
- Self-efficacy: Parents need to believe they can implement actions that lead to positive changes in their child’s behavior.
Conclusion: When parents understand the risks, the severity, and the benefits of involvement, and feel capable of taking preventive actions, they are more likely to actively participate in prevention programs and positively influence their children’s development.