Leading with Intention in Every Role: How Working Parents Can Prevent Youth Substance Use
By Ronna Yablonkski, Sr. Director of Prevention at SAFE Project
The role of parents, guardians, and caretakers is vitally important for youth and young adults in all stages of development. If only there was an instruction manual!
With over 20 years of experience in the field of prevention, I’m passionate about championing the well-being of youth, families, and communities. My work has focused on delivering evidence-based prevention to thousands of students and training hundreds of educators, parents, and community leaders in topics such as prevention science, overdose response, and protective factor development. I write from the humble perspective of being an imperfect parent (as we all are), but always wanting to be better at this magnificent and sometimes overwhelming job.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine highlights that a young person’s sense of connection to caring supportive adults – whether parents, guardians, or caretakers – plays a crucial role as a protective factor against risky behaviors, protecting youth from poor health-related outcomes and promoting healthy development (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Building Protective Factors Through Full Spectrum Prevention
Protective factors are conditions or attributes that help shield against risks. They contribute to a range of positive health outcomes, emotional well-being, and academic achievements. Protective factors can be seen as positive countering conditions.
Examples include:
- Interpersonal Connections
- Coping and Problem-Solving Skills
- Physical and Psychological Safety
- Sense of Purpose and Optimism
- Self-Control and Refusal Skills
The more we understand how risk and protective factors interact, the better equipped we are to support young people. Risk and protective factors do not exist in isolation. They present in all domains of a young person’s life – within themselves, families, peers, schools, communities and society at large.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t speak about the fact that some influences fall outside the control of parents and caretakers; examples include systemic challenges like racism, poverty, redlining, and limited access to quality health care. These things can deeply affect a young person’s mental health and overall well-being, both in the short and long term.
Prevention starts with each of us and it’s most effective when treated as a shared responsibility. Full-spectrum prevention takes a comprehensive approach to reducing substance use and its associated harms and is grounded in protective factors. This approach focuses on substance use at all stages – from preventing use altogether, to reducing harm during use, and supporting long-term recovery – and is successful when it occurs at multiple levels (i.e., at home, in a community setting, and at a policy level). Prevention supports individual flourishing with skill development.
This graph highlights steps that caring adults can take to support youth skill development.
Parenting comes with big responsibilities – it’s full of both challenges and rewards. The journey is filled with ups and downs. Even with the best parenting intentions, most children grow up not liking something about the parenting methods they experienced. No parent or family is perfect, and that’s completely okay. Perfection isn’t the goal; growth, love, and effort matter most. As a leading protective factor, you can make a significant difference in increasing the overall health and well-being of the youth in your life.
Building Protective Factors Through Open Dialogue
When working with parents, a common belief is that substance use prevention is covered by having “the drug talk” and that the school’s alcohol and drug awareness assembly helps to reinforce that mindset. Though talking is good and evidence-based education is proven to make a positive impact, prevention is NOT a one and done action! Getting educated together and talking early and often are important steps in building strong protective factors to offset risks. The “substance use conversation” at home needs to be ongoing throughout all stages of youth development.
It is vital for parents, guardians, and caretakers to be present and attentive and work hard to keep channels of communication open. The way in which you have conversations is just as important as the topic and content being discussed. Remember that the best conversations promote free expression of natural curiosities and the opportunity to grow together. Feelings can be validated, acknowledged, and respected without full agreement.
Youth respond better when the adult approaches the conversation calmly and openly and are intentional in creating a space where the youth feel respected, heard, and understood. Other tips for productive personalized conversations include:
- Keep them engaging: Let both sides speak, ask questions, and raise curiosities.
- Tailor to their age: Focus on what your child is seeing, hearing, and experiencing.
- Keep them short and focused: Don’t overwhelm. Choose one or two points at a time.
Ronna Yablonkski is Sr. Director of Prevention at SAFE Project, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic. Ronna has over two decades experience in the areas of youth substance use prevention and community-based coalition development. She focuses on fostering resilience and wellbeing; reducing risk of substance addiction and mental health challenges; and enhancing protection through prevention and recovery strategies. Ronna works to implement effective prevention strategies and tactics to reduce the effects of substance use throughout SAFE Project’s four portfolios: SAFE Campuses, SAFE Communities, SAFE Veterans, and SAFE Workplaces. Contact Yablonski at ronna@safeproject.us. www.safeproject.us
Additional Resources
For additional information on risk and protective factors:
For additional tips on talking with youth about substance use visit:
- https://www.hidta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/KP3-FINAL_r.pdf, https://www.hidta.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Substance-Use-Prevention-Communications-Toolkit-FINAL_10.12.22.pdf, or https://www.safeproject.us/safe-choices/resources-for-parents/
For additional information on Prevention Month (October):