A key question for the adolescent drug treatment field is whether boys and girls should be treated differently. Until recent years, girls (and women) made up a relatively small percentage of those in treatment. Now, however, they are approaching equality with males in terms of substance abuse as well as numbers in treatment programs. The 2000 National Household Survey reported that among teens aged 12-17, slightly more females (18.9 percent) than males (18.4 percent) said they had used illicit drugs in the past year. Growth in the participation of women and girls in treatment has sharpened the focus on whether there are gender differences that should be taken into account in providing effective treatment.

Recent research points to significant differences between male and female adolescent drug users. Although alcohol and other drug use is now widespread among both teenage boys and girls, boys tend to drink and to use drugs more heavily and more often. Boys involved in substance abuse are also more likely to have “conduct disorders,” including aggressive, disruptive and even violent behavior. Special issues in designing treatment for adolescent males include learning how to change disruptive behaviors, understanding the responsibilities of becoming an adult, HIV risks, date rape, and experiencing rites of passage from adolescence to manhood.

Once girls start using drugs, they are more likely than boys to become dependent on alcohol and other drugs. The earlier girls begin using, the more severe their problems will be. This suggests that for girls, early intervention is particularly important. Girls who have substance abuse problems frequently also have severe family problems. Their parents may be disengaged, erratic or abusive. The majority of girls in treatment reports having been abused sexually or physically, often by family members or older friends.

Girls who drink and use drugs often have serious mental health problems, which may involve a “double dose” of symptoms, including both internalized anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder as well as aggressive, disruptive behavior. Depression and trauma in girls usually precede drug use; many teenage girls say they use drugs to make themselves feel better. Abandonment, abuse, and depression are key issues girls must address in treatment.

Most drug treatment programs were originally designed for adult white male addicts, not women, and certainly not adolescent girls! Today, treatment experts agree that gender should be taken into account in developing a treatment plan. For example, the majority of girls who abuse alcohol and other drugs have a history of depression (often undiagnosed, or even noticed) that may make them particularly vulnerable to addiction. Programs should have the professional competence on staff or on referral to make sure these mental health problems are addressed in treatment. Gender and sexuality issues also may affect the therapeutic alliance between the teen and the counselor that many experts believe is central to recovery. One implication, for example, may be that girls may relate better to women counselors than they would to men. Furthermore, this trust is especially important for gay and lesbian adolescents who might not otherwise be willing or able to address important aspects of their identity.

Many co-ed programs provide effective care to girls, particularly if programs provide the opportunity for participating in single-sex groups as well as female counselors for individual sessions and program material developed for girls and young women. Teenage girls often strive for approval from males rather than focusing on their own problems. They may also have conflicts about body image, such as the desire to be thin, that boys might not share. Girls may be reluctant to talk freely in front of men about their own sexual experiences, which many regard as shameful. In mixed groups, boys sometimes accuse girls of sexual promiscuity (and call them names) that further reinforces girls’ negative feelings about themselves. In addition, safety is a central consideration. Programs must insure that girls are physically safe as well as free from sexual and psychological harassment.

During the next decade, adolescent drug treatment research will no doubt reveal illuminating detail about how boys and girls are both different and similar with regard to finding effective paths to recovery. Currently, however, we are learning from practice (and increasingly, from research) that gender does matter in shaping treatment success.

Mathea Falco, an attorney, is president of Drug Strategies. She served as Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotic Matters from 1977-1981.

Footnote
1 Visit www.drugstrategies.org for a full description of the study.

Reference
Drug Strategies. (2003). Treating teens: A guide to adolescent drug programs. Washington, D.C.: Drug Strategies. For ordering information, visit www.drugstrategies.org.

This article is published in Counselor,The Magazine for Addiction Professionals, April 2004, v.5, n.2, pp. .

---

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment
Name:
Email:	do not notifynotify
Title:
UBBCode:	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
	Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.25

3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."