Psychoactive Substance Abuse in Adolescence and Social Work in the School: A Point a View from Professionals and Students in Castelo Branco, Portugal

Abstract

This paper explores the relevance of preventive social work-focused programs implemented in schools in order to reduce psychoactive substance abuse by adolescents. The research was implemented in the city-district school of Castelo Branco, a Portuguese central inland territory. By using a qualitative research methodology, it was possible to learn about adolescent students’ life experience and their peers related with the drug abuse and their perceptions about their experience in school preventive social programs. Although this case study does not allow generalization, it confirms: (1) the existence of psychoactive substance abuse behaviors by young students in the school; (2) the social work intervention carried out in the school did not have the desired effects, because drug abuse continues to assume significant importance in this and in other schools. Given these conclusions, the authors emphasize the importance of nonspecific preventive activities at an early life stages that alter or prevent drug abuse through practices that do not focus only on drugs and consumption behaviors. The results argue the need to rethink the social work intervention programs carried out in elementary schools and to create new intervention forms that prioritize drug abuse prevention in a more holistic way. So this article is divided into four parts: purpose, method, results, and discussion.