(Self)Organizing potential of European parents to prevent children from alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is little scientific evidence on how parents and caregivers organize and empower themselves to reduce ATOD use in their children. METHODS: Multi-site qualitative study, focus groups data were analyzed and interpreted using itemization, clustering, categorization, contrasting, and comparison.
SAMPLE: A total of 85 parents/caregivers and parent association members (62 female and 23 male parents, average age 44.4 years) from six countries participated in 12 focus groups, using convenience sampling and purposive sampling methods. FINDINGS: Our data suggests that parents and caregivers perceive the potential to self-organize at the local community and school level to be low.
Parents provided solutions on how to improve self-organisation; i) empowering parents through (keen) interest in their child; ii) development of intensive collaboration with schools, facilitated by school representatives; iii) collaboration with prevention professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may support the development of parental guidelines designed to increase the empowerment of European parents to take part and lead community based substance use prevention activities.