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Prevention Action Alliance
Scare Tactics in Prevention
Halloween 2020 is over, which means that kids dressed as astronauts,
vampires, and monsters, homes were decorated with cobwebs and
tombstones, and candy was given out to children everywhere. The sounds
of screaming filled the air as people watched scary movies, but do you
know what really scares us?
The use of scare tactics in prevention.
We have a lot to say about the use of fear in prevention. Often, when a
community decides that they want to do something to prevent substance
misuse in their community, they resort to scare tactics. They think,
rationally, that kids would abstain from drug use if they knew what
happened to adults who misused substances.
Unfortunately, developing brains don’t work like that. Teenage brains
are different than ours. As such, what we think should work may not
work for them.
So why don’t scare tactics work in prevention?
Teens are hardwired to defend against scary messages (like adults).
They engage in the same denial, avoidance, and skepticism that adults
do when they hear frightful news. Teens are also exceptional at making
fun of scary messages.
Young people filter information differently. Their prefrontal cortex,
the part of the brain that controls impulses and exercises caution, is
still developing. This makes it hard for them to control their emotions.
Teens attracted to risky situations may be attracted by anything
portrayed as scary. This is especially true for teens who have
experimented with substances already.
Strong warnings can send unintended messages. Sometimes that message
might be that drug use is actually the norm and everyone around them is
doing it. If they don’t do it, they’ll be left behind.
Instead of focusing on what people shouldn’t do, try instead to focus
on what people can do. Parents can talk to their kids about drug use in
a helpful, not frightful way.
Preventionists, meanwhile, can ensure that youth have the skills they
need to make healthy choices and design environmental prevention
solutions that create a community where youth can thrive.
Now wouldn’t that be a real treat?
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