Abstract
In South Africa today, the numbers of drug-dependent adolescents are increasing at
alarming rates. These adolescents require rehabilitation. The numbers of institutions
that offer drug rehabilitation services are also growing exponentially.
However, the programs followed by the institutions are wide ranging in nature and are
not controlled by government or a professional body. Although these institutions
claim individual successes, their success rates – especially in regard of adolescents –
is highly subjective and suspect.
The discipline of educational psychology is uniquely capable of setting objective
criteria to which all programs for drug-dependent adolescents should comply.
Educational psychology emphasizes two important aspects of human development:
The educational and the psychological. Moreover, it gives considerable weight to the
adolescent’s participation in her own development.
The uncontrolled use of dependence-forming substances by adolescents negatively
influences every level of their physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological and social
development. To facilitate their growth to responsible adulthood, specialized
treatment is required to address specific adolescent developmental tasks and needs. It
has become imperative that the programs offered to adolescents in South Africa be
analysed and examined critically in order to determine whether they comply with the
dictates of a responsible educational-psychological approach.
It is against this background that a research study was undertaken to investigate the
current position of drug rehabilitation programs for adolescents offered by centres and
clinics in South Africa. The aim of this study was to determine and describe
educational-psychological criteria to evaluate the suitability of current programs that
are offered to drug dependent adolescents in this country. A theoretical framework
was developed by an extensive literary research. This framework formed the
foundation of an empirical study.
The initial stage of the empirical study – the identification of drug rehabilitation
centres and clinics that offer in-patient treatment for adolescents – was hampered by
the lack of government involvement in the registration and monitoring of such centres
and clinics and the programs they offer. No database containing information on drug
use, drug misuse and drug dependence, as well as places and methods of
rehabilitation, exists.
Identified institutions were contacted and requested to participate in this research.
Several refused. The centres and clinics that were willing to assist and offered unique
programs, were visited. In several instances one centre was visited and described as
representative of several centres or clinics that offer programs based on a similar
approach. Documentation regarding drug rehabilitation programs were perused.
Interviews with adolescents – whose parents had given permission for their
participation – and with available parents and staff were recorded and transcribed.
The transcriptions were qualitatively analysed. Educational-psychological criteria that
address the specific development needs of adolescents were identified.
This research found that although some programs address some minor educationalpsychological
aspects of the adolescent’s substance problem, not one of the in-patient
programs addressed the problem holistically by emphasizing the development and
needs of these adolescents. The effect of these programs on the educationalpsychological
development of adolescents moving towards responsible adulthood,
must be questioned.
The educational-psychological criteria – as set out in this research study – should be
applied to in-patient drug rehabilitation programs for adolescents in South Africa to
increase the quality and success of the said programs. Through such an approach,
adolescents are valued as individuals who have to complete general developmental
tasks successfully to arrive at a responsible and meaningful adulthood.
Prof. J.C. Kok