Helping Families PROSPER

Are you a caregiver of a youth between the ages of 10-14? If you are, or ever have been, then you know that this can be a challenging phase of development for adolescents filled with fluctuating emotions and behaviors. This adolescent phase is one stage of brain development. The area of the brain that provides reactions, including fear and aggression, develops before the area of the brain that provides more coordinated thought, action, and behaviors (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2016). Based on what we know about brain development, youth are more likely to act on impulse, get into accidents, and engage in dangerous or risky behavior before stopping to consider the consequences of their actions. One example of risky behavior is illegal drug use. National data from 2020 show a 61% increase in illegal drug use among 8^th graders across the nation; in this same report, Pennsylvania data reported 66,000 12- to 17-year-olds who had used drugs in the previous month (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, n.d.).

When our society shifted toward home-based learning and work environments at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it allowed families the opportunity to spend more time together. However, this extended time together didn’t guarantee that caregivers felt that their family communication and bonds improved. One out of four parents in a 2020 nationwide survey reported feelings of failing as a parent since the pandemic started (Sheffield, 2020). Now, with a major increase in youth engagement with technology, it can feel like a huge barrier to convince your youth to take some time to connect with the rest of the family while turning off the screen. The bottom line is that it can be tough being a parent these days.

Penn State Extension offers evidence-based family development programming, proven to reduce substance abuse in adolescents while encouraging family involvement. This programming is referred to as "PROSPER," or "PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience." It encourages community partnerships with individuals and organizations dedicated to improving families, building youth skills, and reducing youth substance use across the state. PROSPER programming is comprised of two components: Life Skills Training and the Strengthening Families Program: for Parent and Youth 10-14. The Life Skills Training is a classroom-based curriculum designed to coordinate with middle school health class lessons and teaching requirements. The Strengthening Families Program: 10-14 is a community-based program that engages caregivers and youth in interactive activities to learn how to effectively communicate with each other and enjoy spending time together.

For 20 years, PROSPER programming has reached 22,744 youth participants through the Life Skills Training curriculum offered in school districts and has impacted 2,264 families throughout 20 counties in Pennsylvania (Penn State Health & Human Development, 2022). A longitudinal study followed 11,000 6th graders for ten years after participating in PROSPER, and found promising results. These participants waited longer to engage in substance use and showed a significant decrease in the severity of substance use throughout their adolescent years. By the time these individuals were seniors in high school, there was also a significantly decreased use of both opiates and prescription drug usage when comparing PROSPER communities to non-PROSPER communities. The data is clear that PROSPER works and can be utilized across the state, as communities and individuals work alongside educators to not only sustain these programs but to expand them into other counties, communities, and school districts.

One of the major components that our Strengthening Families Program: 10-14 staff teaches and helps families practice is how to facilitate an effective family meeting. According to the PROSPER curriculum developed by Iowa State Human Sciences and Extension Outreach (1993) in the "Family Meeting Ground Rules" document, the purpose of a family meeting is to address specific concerns. For instance, meeting can address leaving the house for school on time, transportation and/or scheduling conflicts, or correcting misbehaviors and to brainstorm solutions to the problem as a family, where everyone's opinion is heard and validated. Once solutions have been suggested, it's important to keep track of agreements and decisions, so the family is able to check back in at the next meeting to see if the problem is working out. If the issue isn't resolved or the solution isn't working, then another possible solution can be implemented for a set amount of time with another family meeting to follow up.

Here are some ground rules for having a successful family meeting in your household:

• Start the meeting with compliments
• Respect everyone’s opinion without lectures or insults
• Stay focused
• Keep a list of decisions that are made
• Summarize agreements
• Keep the meeting short
• Check back during the next meeting to determine if agreements are working
• Keep trying

It's vital to remember that strong families can communicate and work through problems together. And to know that it may take several attempts until you find a solution that works for everyone.

If you are interested in learning more about PROSPER programming in Pennsylvania, please refer to our website to see how you can help our programming expand throughout the Commonwealth.

Resources Cited

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2016, September). Teen brain: Behavior, problem solving, and decision making.

Iowa State Human Sciences and Extension Outreach. (1993). Family meeting ground rules. Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14.

National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. (n.d.). Teenage drug use statistics [2022]: Data & Trends on abuse.

Penn State Health and Human Development. (n.d.). Reducing youth opioid use. PROSPER in PA.

Sheffield, R. (2020, December 14). Marital health, parental well-being, and family bonds during the pandemic: Findings from the 2020 American Family Survey. United State Congress, Joint Economic Committee.