6 / 52
YOUR BEST TEACH
FILE
ARTICLE
MAJOR STEP IN PREVENTING THE USE OF
In this period, young people both discover themselves
and seek a new identity. Changes, development and
problems can cause conflicts in their inner world and
they may not be able to find a solution. Peer education
is used for various purposes with groups comprised
of people from different age groups and social backg-
rounds. Within this process, a pre-planned educational
method is applied to change knowledge, behavior and
attitude. In a peer group, the perspectives of young
people expand. The aim is to teach adolescents how
to have new attitudes by the method of identification;
namely, through observational learning. Young people
whose cooperation and team spirit have developed
can affect each other in a positively."
P
Programs which aim to prevent the use of addictive
substances can be implemented using various met-
hods, with pharmacological treatment being the most
effective. Additionally; school, family, nongovernmen-
tal organizations (NGOs), and the media have a huge
impact on adolescents. Assistant Professor Celalettin
İçmeli, clinical psychologist at Düzce University, emp-
hasizes that schools are institutions where adoles-
cents get the highest level of learning retention, and
adds that even though the issue of substance abuse
is included in the units of various lessons, attempts
to prevent drug use via peer education have gained
importance in the recent period. "Peers and close
friends are important during adolescent development.
During adolescence, the effects
of school and its environment
on young people are at the
forefront; and cooperation
and teamwork among young
people to strive against the use
of addictive substances are of
vital importance. Specifically,
organized group training
changes the perspectives of
young people and helps them
to practice new behaviors
through observational
learning method. In this
period of development, when
a young person’s attitude
towards authority tends to
be aggressive, receiving the
message from peers increases
the level of its impact.
yesilay.org.tr
6
YEŞiLAY
•
October-November-December 2015