ADDRESSING DRUG ABUSE IN KENYA: THE PRESENT SCENARIO

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Strategies Used to Address Drug Abuse in Schools

Information was sought on the methods used by schools to address drug abuse and their perceived effectiveness. Data from respondents was collected using questionnaires and interviews.
Based on the teachers‟ responses (Table 5.25), the commonly used methods are guidance and counseling, summoning of parents or guardians to school, suspension, heavy punishment, and expulsion. On the overall assessment of these methods (Table 5.26), the general perception of the teachers indicates that the methods are found wanting. Fifty percent of the teachers felt that the methods were moderately effective, 11.1% said they were very effective, and only 33.3% said they were unambiguously effective.
Other methods cited by deputy-head teachers were talks by head teachers during assembly, use of guest speakers, strict school rules signed on admission by all students, impromptu inspections especially in boarding schools, thorough inspections at entry points on opening days and close monitoring and vetting of students‟ visitors. According to the deputy-head teachers, no formal programme had been incorporated into the school curriculum except guidance and counseling which is provided by teachers during their spare time.
On whether they had been exposed to any drug preventive methods, 83.6% of the students said they had. Asked which methods had been used in their schools to address drug abuse (Table 5.28), students said guidance and counseling, invited guests, information by teachers and use of posters. The most effective methods as perceived by students were guidance and counseling (59%) and teaching about drug use and abuse in class (33%). The least effective method was cited as talking to students at assembly (8%). Keeping in mind that the schools have tried their best to address the issue of drug abuse, students were asked to respond to the question: do you think action taken against drug abusers is adequate? Of those who responded, 52% said no and 48% said yes.

Challenges Facing Schools in Addressing Drug Abuse

In their war against drug abuse, the school administrators, that is the deputy-head teachers and teachers, cited a number of challenges. These include lack of support from parents who side with their children, some teachers providing drugs to students, lack of role models, inadequate knowledge on how to deal with the drug abuse and even to detect drug abusers, inflexible time schedules for school counselors who are also teachers, location of schools near market centres which make it easy for students to access drugs, inability to monitor students out of school especially in day schools, lack of clear guidelines on what action to take against drug abusers and lack of training on issues related to drug use and abuse. In addition, most teachers felt ill-equipped to handle issues related to drug abuse.
The media was also perceived to be a stumbling block to the war against youth drug abuse. The teachers felt that the mass media is responsible for indirectly promoting liberal and permissive social values combined with promotion of a sensation-seeking culture, all of which is instrumental in increasing drug abuse among the youth, especially students. This is perceived to be in contrast to the moral values emphasized by the community and society in general. In addition, alcohol and cigarettes are legally advertised through the media while attached warning labels are too small to be read by many people.

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The Role of the School in Addressing Drug Abuse

It is evident from the research that abuse of drugs is determined by both the existence of risk factors (e.g. availability of drugs, stress, peer pressure media advertisements and lack of role models) and protective factors within the individual‟s social and physical environment (e.g. attachment with people like family members and peers, life skills, performance capabilities that help people to succeed and availability of resources). Any education programme aimed at addressing drug abuse among students should therefore be holistic and address both the risk and protective factors. The aim should be to strengthen the protective factors where potential buffers include strong family bonding, school commitment, positive role models and a strong belief in one‟s own efficacy.
The proposed programme should use the protective and risk factors approach to help the youth understand how to cope with the problem of drug abuse, and the factors that lead to it. While addressing the risk factors, the school administration and teachers should start by identifying risk factors within the school environment and cooperatively look for ways of reducing or eliminating these factors. Risk factors may include poor academic performance, stress, lack of basic needs for some learners, lack of leisure facilities, poor communication channels and poor relationships between teachers and students. The aim would be to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. Any risk factors beyond the teachers‟ control such as poverty and lack of basic needs should be referred to the relevant authorities such as parents, government officials and even donors who will help the needy children. Where possible, teachers need to isolate needy cases and give them individualized counseling.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.7 SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1.8 METHOD OF RESEARCH
1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
1.10 ETHICAL CONSIDERATOINS
1.11 RESEARCH PROGRAMME
1.12 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER TWO OVERVIEW OF THE CAUSE, NATURE, EXTENT AND EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG SCHOOL LEARNERS WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE YOUTH IN KENYA
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 A SOCIO EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVEON THE CAUSE OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS
2.3 NATURE AND EXTENT OF DRUGS ABUSED BY LEARNERS
2.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.5 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER THREE ADDRESSING DRUG ABUSE IN KENYA: THE PRESENT SCENARIO
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENT SCENARIO
3.3 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 AIM OF RESEARC
4.3 RESEARCH PARADIGMS
4.4 RESEARCH DESIGN
4.4.1 Description of the Sample
4.4.2 Sampling Procedure
4.4.3 Research Instruments
4.4.4 Document Analysis
4.4.5 Data Collection Procedures
4.4.6 Data Analysis
4.5 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE STUDY
4.6 DATA PROCESSING
4.7 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
4.8 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FIVE ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 THE EXTENT OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG STUDENTS AS REPORTED BY STUDENTS, TEACHERS, DEPUTY HEAD TEACHERS AND PARENTS
5.3 CAUSES OF DRUG ABUVE AMONG STUDENTS
5.4 COMMONLY ABUSED DRUGS BY STUDENTS AND THEIR SOURCES
5.5 STRATEGIES USED TO ADDRESS DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS
5.6 PROPOSED SOLUTSION TO DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS
5.7 CHALLENGES FACED IN ADDRESSING DRUG ABUSE IN SCHOOLS
5.8 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
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