Download this fact sheet: Peer education for parents and carers [PDF: 421 KB]
Number 4.11 March 2006
for parents and carers
Introduction
The provision of alcohol and other drug information to parents is an important but often overlooked area of peer education. In fact, peer education can be an effective way for parents to educate other parents about alcohol and drug issues that are affecting their children. With factual up-to-date information about drugs, parents may be able to communicate with their children about these issues in a credible way.
This fact sheet describes how peer education can work for parents and carers.
What is peer education?
Peer education involves a person providing information to individuals or groups within their peer group. The person needs to have sufficient social standing or status within the group to be able influence them.
Peer education for parents is about parents sharing information with other parents. It may occur in a formal structured way through a specific program or in an opportunistic way when parents informally pass on information that they have learnt to other parents.
Who is a peer?
A peer is someone who has one or more of the following characteristics:
- similar age
- shared characteristics (for example, gender, culture)
- similarities in experience
- membership of the same group.
For parents, a peer may be:
- a parent with children attending the same school
- a parent who lives in the same neighbourhood
- another community member with whom they share similar interests.
A peer educator is a person who is considered a peer by other parents, is credible and influential and has received some sort of training or information that they can pass on to other parents.
The aims of peer education
Peer education initiatives may target the group's knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, skills or behaviour about a particular issue such as alcohol and other drug use. In the case of parent peer education, the aim may be to increase parents' knowledge about alcohol and other drug issues, or to provide parents with strategies to discuss alcohol and drug issues with their children.
Why educate parents about drugs?
Adolescence is traditionally a time of turmoil for young people. The influence of the family diminishes and they begin to spend more time with their friends. As the peer group grows stronger so too does the desire to conform to the norms of the group. Experimentation with legal and illegal drugs predominantly occurs during adolescence and most young people are introduced to drugs through their peers.
The benefits of educating parents about drugs using peer education include that:
- Parents may not understand the psychology of adolescence and the need to adjust their communication style as their children develop.
- Parents are unlikely to access professional services unless there is a specific issue of concern.
- Parents sometimes feel left out of the information loop—there are education strategies for young people but not for themselves.
- Parents may be reluctant to seek help because of the stigma attached to drug issues.
- Work and family commitments can make it difficult for parents to obtain relevant information.
What does peer education for parents involve?
Peer education can be presented in a formal, structured way where parents attend a specific program or through informal discussion between parents. Regardless of how it is presented, the aim of parent peer alcohol and other drug education is to:
- increase parents' knowledge of drugs, drug use and drug-related issues
- improve parents' ability to discuss drug-related issues with their children
- identify some of the factors that may contribute to harmful drug use
- identify and reflect on their own attitudes to drug use
- increase knowledge and understanding of adolescent development
- have parents act as peer educators by passing on the information throughout their community
- increase their interest in community initiatives that aim to reduce the harms associated with drug use
- learn about local alcohol and other drug services and networks.
Where to find peer education programs for parents
Your local alcohol and other drug service will be able to provide you with information about parent peer education programs available in your area. A list of alcohol and drug services is available on ADIN.
Examples of parent peer education programs include:
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The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Peer Education—Manly Drug Education and Counselling Centre. This guide has been developed to assist the development of peer programs for parents.
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Peers for Prevention—Eastern Drug and Alcohol Service (EDAS). This manual is aimed at assisting parents to establish parent peer education projects.
More information
For more information on drugs and drug prevention contact the DrugInfo Clearinghouse on tel. 1300 85 85 84, email druginfo@adf.org.au.