Intervention Alcohol, Youth and Offences

Intervention Alcohol, Youth and Offences

Dr. Rob Bovens, Trimbos

InstituteProfessor University of applied science Windesheim, Zwolle

Stockholm, 16 november 2012

Content• The occasion• Context• The Start • The Intervention (target group, proces, program) • Evaluation• Future

The Occasion• Since 2003 there have been many indications in The Netherlands

that youngsters drink:- too young - too early (on average at 12 in 2003)- too much

• A lot of public violence and nuisance under the influence of alcohol• Desire to reach the parents, especially those who are difficult to

reach• Desire to offer a meaningful alternative• Looking for an intervention in accordance with local and regional

policy

Boys and girls: alcohol use last month (minimal 1 glas) (Verdurmen e.a., Trimbos, 2012)

Boys Girls

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For example: destruction and age (Region Dordrecht, Jim Verhoeven 2008)

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In a stimulating society regarding to use of alcohol caused by……

everyday use byrole models is commonstimulatingdrinking at home instead of the unsafeand expensive worldoutside a growing amount of selling points

lower costs a growing amount of events

There is a lack of control

parents do notdiscuss or share rules with other parents

smaller families (a private room for every child) both parents are working

no alcohol policyin schools

more and more cabins and caravans

Experiences

Price

Policy, Government,

Law and Legislation

Advertising

Campaigns, Education, Research

CommunityOpinions

Intervention ‘Alcohol, youth and offences’

Context• 2006 – 2011: national campaigns (target group: parents and other educators) • About 25 local and regional projects in The Netherlands on alcohol and youth• Collaboration public health and law enforcement• Change of national legislation

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The Start• Regional project in ‘The Achterhoek’ (eastern part of the

country, 8 municipalities)

• Situation (2004) much more serious than in other parts of the country (drinking beer at 11/12 years old was regular)

• Priorities: setting the agenda (campaigns), education for parents, schoolmasters, boards of sportclubs etc.

• Just later on actions against retailers and barkeepersThe awareness was growing but there were many parents who were difficult to reach

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The Solution• Make use of the criminal justice system (strong arm of the

law)• Develop a program for youngsters and their parents as well• Make use of positive experiences with more or less simular

interventions• Get big public support by explaining the meaning of the

measure

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Simular interventions

• Alcohol Traffic Courses (30% lower recidivism rates, Bovens 1991)

• Intervention Alcohol and Delinquency (30% lower recidivism rates, Bovens et al. 1987)

• Alternative Sanction Alcohol and Delinquency (no behaviour research, increasing knowledge and more positive attitude, Brouwer et al., 1998)

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The intervention ‘Alcohol, youth and offences’

• Target group• Executive agencies• The proces• Duration• The program:

- meeting parents- meetings youngsters

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Target group• Age: 12 – 18 years • Offences:

- vandalism- alcohol use in forbidden places- go pee in public places- public drunkenness- (little) violation

• No objections (psychiatric problems, heavy alcohol problems, etc.)

• Their parents

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Executive agencies• Centres for addiction cure, care and prevention• HALT (The Alternative for justice approach on juvenile

offenders)• Police• Local controllers

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The Proces

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Police establishes criminal fact

Charge, together with an announcement of the transfer to HALT (the alternative) or to the Public Prosecutor

Intake on HALT -office + screening

Positive: Transfer to training centre (centres for prevention on addiction)

Negative: regular HALT-intervention (community service)

Training program for youngsters and their parents. Report to HALT

Positive report: positive message to youngster

Negative report: Transfer to Public Prosecutor

Charge to the Public Prosecutor or HALT

Duration• For youngsters: 6 hours (2 meetings of 2 hours, homework,

telephone call with a trainer)• For parents: 2,5 hours

• Totally: about 6 weeks

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The program

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Meeting for parents1. Introduction2. Acquaintance3. Information about alcohol4. Past and presence5. Puberty and culture6. Motives alcohol use and possibilities parents to influence7. Norms and values8. Conversation with a adolescent9. Conversation with a adolescent in practise10. Evaluation and termination

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Meetings for youngsters (1)Approach:•Kind of offence is irrelevant for the program: common is the use of alcohol•Active attitude of the participants and soberness•Collaborative attitude•No moralizing by trainers•< 16 yr: try to make the choice to quit drinking•> 16 yr: try to make the choice to reduce drinking or to quit•Principles of motivation interviewing •Model of Prochaska and DiClemente (stages of change)Important:•Interaction

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Meetings for youngsters (2)Elements:First session:•Personal stories•Information about effects of alcohol use•Understanding personal drinking patterns•Instruction homework Homework:•registration drinking pattern, testing knowledge, testing drinking behaviour, interview parents, telephone callSecond session:•Discussion about homework•Learning to refuse an offer•Draw up the balance (advantages and disadvantages of the behaviour)

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Evaluation• Proces (Kuppens et al. 2011) - youngsters and parents are positive about the intervention - more arrangements and rules about the alcohol use

• Effect - feb. 2012-dec. 2013 - 250 exp. group, 250 control - knowledge, attitude, drinking behaviour, recidivism rates (6 months)

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Future (1)• At the moment: in one year 700 – 1.000 participants in The

Netherlands in 6 of the 11 regions• January 2013: new law in The Netherlands: penalization of

youngsters < 16 years who possess alcohol beverages in public areas. From then on they will get a fine

• When the intervention is effective (we know it before 2014) every youngster gets it instead of a fine

• Interesting question: what about if we raise the legal age to 18 years ? The intervention is meant for youngsters from 12-18 years widen the target group?

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Future (2)Threat:The intervention will be seen as too soft !The focus will go to the heavier offender and then they will‘throw away the baby with the bathwater’.

The target group must be the young (first) offender who needs a small educational measurement. It will be effective enoughTargeting to the tough part of the participants will raise the costs and reduce the support for offering this intervention (‘you shoot with a gun on a mosquito’). And the additional effects will be small

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Thank you very much

Mail to rbovens@trimbos.nl

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