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Serving the Communities of Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester, and Wakefield
Age And Stage in Prevention
When do you start speaking to your child about substance use? What are the best topics for each age range? In prevention, we don't want to just manage substance abuse when it happens, we want to prevent it by educating by “age and stage” of development
How Do I Know When & What to Speak with My Child About?
It is important to understand that every child is unique. Whether it be their level of maturing, risky behavior levels, or sense of self, it's hard to decide when to speak to your child about positive decision-making. We want to give you the resources and information to decide when to speak to your child and what conversation are age-appropriate.
What are Some Basic Facts I Should Know?
11 MILLION AMERICAN KIDS STRUGGLE WITH ALCOHOL & DRUG PROBLEMS
KIDS WHO UNDERSTAND THE RISK ARE 50% LESS LIKELY TO USE DRUGS
EVERY DAY, OVER 1,000 YOUTH GET INVOLVED IN DRUGS & ALCOHOL
11 million American adolescents and young adults ages 12-29 need help with drug and
alcohol problems; 9 million of these are between the ages of 12-25. (2009 National Study on Drugs and Health)
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90% of the nearly 2 million adolescents who need help with drug and alcohol problems are not getting the help they need. (2008 National Study on Drugs and Health)
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Kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely
to use drugs, yet only 37% report getting that benefit. (Partnership Attitude Tracking Study 2008)
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African American adolescents have consistently shown lower drug and alcohol usage rates than Caucasian adolescents. (Johnson/Monitoring the Future 2008)
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On an average day, 7,540 adolescents 12-17 drank alcohol for the first time, 4,365 used an illicit drug, 2,466 abused a prescription pain medication (without a prescription) and 263 were admitted to treatment for marijuana dependence, more than any other drug. (2008 OAS/ SAMHSA)
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Source: Partnership for Drug Free Kids
Levels of Prevention
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Primary prevention addresses universal needs to avoid serious injury and illness or relationship disruption and thereby promote healthy development; primary prevention is health promoting and reaches all members of a population.
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Secondary prevention seeks to identify individuals and groups at risk for particular outcomes or problems, for example, preterm infants who are likely to experience developmental delays, young children and youth from low-resource communities who may be exposed to toxins, and older adults whose health status may increase risk for isolation or injury.
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Early intervention is a form of secondary prevention which seeks to promptly identify and the needs of individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities with known adverse circumstances who are more vulnerable to serious disruptions of healthy development.
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Tertiary prevention approaches include intensive supports and therapies that are provided to individuals with established problems or conditions. Their aim is to return the individual or family to an improved level of functioning.
When Do I Start?
Prevention and early intervention occurs at every point in the lifespan, although childhood is a special opportunity to reach children during their development stage.
Teaching when to say no, how to interpret risk level, and health habits builds positive youth development
Age & Stage Organization
What are the different stages in a child's life? Though this related to a young person's age, it is most related to the actives that they are doing at that point in their life, such as school stage. This is key to understanding what risky behaviors they might be interacting with.​
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STAGE 1: Preschool (2-4 years old)​
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STAGE 2: Early elementary (5-8 years old)
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STAGE 3: Preteen / Middle School (9-12 years old)
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STAGE 4: Teenager / High School (13-18 years old)
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STAGE 5: Young Adult / College (19-25 years old)
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