Theoretical Underpinnings
& Preservation Awareness
Theoretical Underpinnings Preservation Awareness Development Model
The SIGNALS© curriculum incorporates a Preservation Awareness Development Model constructed to address specific, research identified, and potentially life-threatening attitudes regarding drugs and alcohol. The principal issue related to these attitudes is Risk Perception Deficit and its cause and effect. For example, in-depth strategies are needed to address denial attributes, if harmful thinking, feeling, and behavioral patterns are to change. In addition, adolescent issues of trust and betrayal, abstract thinking development, and independence versus authority provide unique and difficult teaching challenges for clinicians, educators, counselors and parents. Four specific areas are targeted by SIGNALS to address barriers that hinder trusting relationships between adults and youth.
They include:
• The problem of the “invincibility beliefs” or the daredevil attitude
• The problem of “typology myths or stereotyping”
• The problem of “pseudo-autonomy or false-freedom”, the issue of finding
freedom where little is expected or demanded except for drug or alcohol
use, a youth culture based on a failure complex, the “self-destructing or
self-damming” attitude
• The problem of “rites of passage” to adulthood, an adult problem forced
upon youth, this leads to the “all adults are hypocrites” attitude.
The SIGNALS© curriculum concurs with research findings on the subject of self-preservation and the implications for substance abuse prevention. The researchers raised questions as to why some adolescents refuse to use or limit their use, especially in light of the environmental myths, which promote use. What they found revealed some important points to consider. Several studies* reported that low risk, non-using young people correctly implicated concerns over impairment episodes or short-term consequences, as well as addiction issues that reflect long-range health ramifications, as the most important reasons not to use.
The same studies highlight the deficit in risk perceptions for high-risk youth who are selected and indicated and at greater risk for substance abuse issues. SIGNALS departs from the recent trend that advocates presenting low-risk drinking guidelines to teenagers .SIGNALS, in contrast, advocates an abstinence position. SIGNALS** does not teach low-risk drinking guidelines because this approach is easily misinterpreted by youth who are already prone to the four conditions cited earlier (invincibility, typology myths, pseudo-autonomy, and hypocrisy issues). The SIGNALS© Preservation Awareness Development Model also incorporates research on self-preservation and the self-harming attributes of accident-prone children and over-protected youth. Citing the work of Khantizan and Mack (1983), Gabe (1993), Ross (1994), and Brendtro (2002), SIGNALS addresses self-preservation and at-risk issues throughout the lesson plans.
*Johnston et al., 1988 & 1998 and Bachman et al., 1988 & 1998
**The SIGNALS© Preservation Awareness Model emphasizes the importance of a non-dual message; Abstinence is the standard for youth under 21. The SIGNALS program provides a non-use message when guiding youth from pre-contemplation throughout the Stages of Change.
Stages of Change: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, Relapse/Recycling
ALSO SEE "SECULAR AND SCIENCE-BASED CURRICULUM"
