To introduce and support the general philosophy of substance abuse prevention and to promote a healthy community by increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors.  Ongoing needs assessment and outcome evaluation will be utilized to promote, develop, implement and advocate for resources and strategies that allow for better coordination of services and activities.   Integral to this will be the collaboration with a variety of community coalitions and planning groups focused on prevention.

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Members

Robert Wadden
434-972-1881
robertw@regionten.org

Projects and Affiliated Programs

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP)

A universal and selective multi-component, family-focused prevention program that provides support for families with 6- to 11-year-olds.  SFP has three components:  a behavioral parent training program, children's skills training program, and family skills training program.  The program is free and open to the public. Transportation for those without, childcare for children under age 6 and a catered meal is provided free of charge. Contact the Program Manager for more information or to register, 972-1881, robertw@regionten.org, or visit their website.

Social Norms Marketing

Understanding Social Norms Marketing:

The social norms approach provides a theory of human behavior that has important implications for health promotion and prevention. It states that our behavior is influenced by incorrect perceptions of how other members of our social groups think and act. For example, an individual may overestimate the permissiveness of peer attitudes and/or behaviors with respect to alcohol, smoking or other drug use, or underestimate the extent to which peers engage in healthy behavior. The theory predicts that overestimations of problem behavior will increase these problem behaviors while underestimations of healthy behaviors will discourage individuals from engaging in them. Thus, correcting misperceptions of group norms is likely to result in decreased problem behavior or increased prevalence of healthy behaviors. These assumptions have been validated by extensive research on teenage and young-adult drinking and cigarette smoking and by interventions to promote safe drinking, tobacco cessation, and safe driving on college campuses and in middle and high schools. Other social norms interventions have been developed to prevent sexual assault, improve academic climate, and reduce prejudicial behavior.

Social norms interventions focus on peer influences, which have a greater impact on individual behavior than biological, personality, familial, religious, cultural and other influences (Berkowitz & Perkins, 1986a; Borsari & Carey, 2001; Kandel, 1985, and Perkins, 2002). Extensive literature has documented the importance of peer influences and normative beliefs on health behaviors of youth. Research suggests that these peer influences are based more on what we think others believe and do (the “perceived norm”), rather than on their real beliefs and actions (the “actual norm.”) This gap between “perceived” and “actual” is referred to as a “misperception” and its effect on behavior provides the basis for the social norms approach. Presenting correct information about peer group norms in a believable fashion is hypothesized to reduce perceived peer pressure and increase the likelihood that individuals will express pre-existing attitudes and beliefs that are health promoting. Thus, providing normative feedback to correct misperceptions of norms is the critical ingredient of the social norms approach.*

*The Social Norms Approach: Theory, Research and Annotated Bibliography by Alan Berkowitz; http://www.alanberkowitz.com/

The Social Norms program is an integral part of the substance abuse prevention efforts at AHS. The program is a comprehensive media and education campaign targeted to students, faculty, and parents. This program involves gathering information on the normative behavior of students at the high school and then presenting these norms to the school community through a media campaign and various education and information opportunities.

The campaign targets the overall student community through marketing messages about their normative behavior using posters and pens. Students are involved in crafting and offering input on the message via focus groups and collaboration with the marketing classes. Many students are surprised to learn through these media efforts that 70% of the student body at AHS does not drink alcohol. They often believe the percentage is higher. Students are also exposed to an in-depth social norms workshop in all 9^th grade health classes. In this workshop, students learn about the social norms theory and how it is salient to their lives and impacts their choices and behavior. This year the social norms efforts will also extend to the advanced marketing class, where a small group of students will be using the social norms concept to craft and implement a campaign and compete with this project at a national marketing competition.

The education and involvement of parents, educators, and administrators is additionally a key component of the social norms efforts. The faculty and parents who visit the school are exposed to the media campaign throughout the building. In addition, their have been presentations made to the faculty and the PTSO on social norms, magnets with normative messages are sent home to all AHS parents, and an expert in the social norms field visited the school to give a comprehensive presentation on social norms. Parents and faculty also are involved in a committee that consults on the social norms initiatives and assists with implementing the program.

The hope at AHS is that as misperceptions about student norms and behaviors are challenged and students begin to understand the actual norm, which reflects a student body that is less permissive of drinking behavior (70% of students at AHS do not drink alcohol), that overall alcohol use will decrease.