Engaging adolescents as peer educators about the dangers of cannabis use: a participatory action research approach

Abstract

Cannabis (dagga) has become one of the most used substances in South Africa, especially among adolescents. Although research has shown that life skills programmes are the most useful prevention methods, these programmes tend to be designed by adult experts who are out of touch with how adolescents think, feel and act in relation to topics such as cannabis use. More promising are methods that involve adolescents themselves in devising and disseminating prevention messages. This study enabled adolescents to educate their peers about the dangers of cannabis use through a participatory action research approach. It was informed by the social learning theory and located in a critical paradigm. I engaged 14 Grade 7 learners as participants to explore the following primary research question: How can a participatory action research approach enable adolescents to educate their peers about the dangers of cannabis use? To address the primary research question, I formulated three secondary research questions: • What perceptions and knowledge do adolescents have of the dangers of cannabis use? • What strategies could adolescents develop to deliver prevention messages about the dangers of cannabis use to their peers? • What guidelines can be developed to educate adolescents about the dangers of cannabis use in a contextualised way? The study consisted of two cycles. Cycle One responded to the first secondary research question. The participating adolescents explored their knowledge and perceptions of the dangers of dagga use through a World Café discussion. Three themes emerged from the data. The participants knew that dagga could limit adolescents’ dreams, as its use could be associated with potential negative academic and social consequences. Using dagga during adolescence could also harm their reproductive health. Moreover, the participants were aware that peer pressure, social pressure, previous cannabis use and the recent decriminalisation of dagga in South Africa could contribute to their peers’ use of this substance. To address this phenomenon in their community, the participants decided to act as peer educators and to convey cannabis prevention messages to their peers. They used a logic model to design their prevention strategies. Cycle Two addressed the second secondary research question. The participating adolescents used their knowledge gained from the first cycle to devise and implement appropriate, adolescent-friendly cannabis prevention messages. They presented their prevention messages to their Grade 5 peers by using art-based methods, as the life orientation outcomes in Grade 5 relate to substance abuse prevention. The participants also used the artefacts they had created to initiate discussions with their parents. The research findings of this cycle revealed that this peer-led prevention approach had a possible influence on both the participating adolescents and their Grade 5 peers. Not only did it lead the participating adolescents to acquire cannabis-related knowledge but also developed their life skills. Moreover, the Grade 5 learners were empowered with knowledge about the dangers of cannabis use, which they claimed would help them make healthy decisions around the use thereof. Lastly, the adolescents’ prevention messages increased their sense of agency, made them more empathic towards other adolescents who used cannabis and promoted discussion between the participants and their parents about the dangers associated with the use of dagga. It is contended that the outcomes of the research project have made important methodological and theoretical contributions. The knowledge generated from this study could be used to inform drug education in schools, and the study could be replicated to address any social issue that might have an impact on the lives of the learners. Moreover, this study provided guidelines on how to use participatory action research and participatory methods in teaching and learning, which could increase learner engagement and promote holistic learning.