The current issue includes four really interesting papers from Greek researchers in the field of drug addiction treatment. The first paper explores the relationship among graffiti, drug use and deviant behavior. The study focuses on interviews from practicing graffiti artists. Its findings indicate that graffiti may be related to the experimentation with and/or recreational use of cannabis and alcohol during adolescence, mainly after the making of graffitis. Nonetheless the conclusion that graffiti functions as means of self- actualization and recognition revealed that graffiti may also be used as a prevention tool and at the same time a means to discover the adolescents’ and young adults’ talents. According to the strengths perspective, this could help them identify new motives and re-integrate into society.
The second paper explores the value of art in the re-entry of ex addicts. It presents a way to use art and new technologies in the training of ex addicts with the aim to help them develop critical thinking. Using a training program, this paper presents the way in which music and ICT (computers & Internet) can give access to and help people in recovery understand poetry. This will help them develop cognitively, but also develop initiatives and critical thinking, something particularly useful for this population. The results from both qualitative and quantitative data yielded evidence supporting that when art and technologies are incorporated in the training process the experience becomes particularly useful in order to transform the perceptions of trainees in a therapeutic framework. It also suggests the expansion of this method to other populations.
The third publication deals with the value of prevention programs in primary schools. This study is of particular interest as the data were collected from a high risk region in Greece regarding aggressive and deviant behaviours of adults and minors. Consequently, behavior problems in schools are prominent.
The study was based on a holistic qualitative model, whose processing showed that negative parental and school management practices of externalizing problem behaviours from students actually reinforce reactive behaviours. At the same time, it seems that provocative and aggressive behaviours of the children usually express depression, and fear in combination with anger, rage, revenge or conflict and ambiguous feelings towards significant people in their lives. The same study argues that the students’ reaction to the management practices of parents is usually non-compliance as negative parental practices is seen as the parent’s rejection of the child and may constitute “traumatic” experiences influencing in a negative manner the way these children relate and function in their lives.
The study underlines how important it is for drug abuse and deviant behavior prevention interventions to reinforce the relationship between parent-child, teacher-student and family-school. But also the need to implement social and emotional training programs for students in order to help them learn skills such as management of emotions, conflict resolution, empathy, self-esteem, cooperation etc. in order to reinforce their resilience and prevent the development of overt behavioiur. The fourth and last paper focuses on a topic with deep interest that concerns the discontinuation of drug use due to birth delivery. The question of the study carried out at the 1st Neonetal Intensive Care Unit at Ippokratio Hospital in Thessaloniki, focuses on women drug user’s need to consume drugas during pregnancy and birth delivery. The results indicate that the development of appropriate prevention programs in family, school and community setting is important for reinforcing social re-entry. Prevention, enhancement of relationships, art and street art are significant factors for drug prevention. The reinforcement of relationships, the use of arts and street arts and the importance of cultivating the resilience of our soul still remain the most wanted means for a desirable life!
We hope you’ll enjoy it!
Anna Tsiboukli
Co-Editor Exartiseis
