INTERVENTIONS EMPLOYED IN CURBING THE LEVEL OF DRUG ABUSE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF KAJIADO NORTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Disturbingly, high levels of illicit drug use remain a problem among school going children both in secondary schools and colleges. The purpose of the current study was to analyse the measures and techniques used in secondary schools in Kajiado North sub-county to lower the levels of drug abuse so as to establish effective approaches against drug abuse in secondary schools. The research was guided by four questions as follows: Which strategies are used to curb drug abuse in secondary schools in Kajiado North Sub-County? To what extent are the strategies effective in curbing drug abuse in secondary schools in Kajiado North Sub-County? What are the challenges faced in implementing the strategies to control drug abuse in Kajiado North Sub-County secondary schools? What modifications are needed within the interventions to establish an effective programme against drug abuse in secondary schools in Kajiado North Sub-County? A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed for the study. The study applied purposive, automatic inclusion, stratified and simple random sampling techniques to select the sample. The researcher used questionnaires, document analysis and interview guides to collect the relevant information. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 23) was used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data was analyzed thematically to obtain views and perceptions of the respondents. The study findings revealed that secondary school administrators in Kajiado North sub-county are putting great efforts to lower the level of drug abuse in schools. It was found out that the level of drug abuse had gradually decreased. The commonly used administrative interventions in Kajiado North Sub-County secondary schools were guidance and counseling and expulsion from school. Among the strategies used to prevent students from indulging in drug abuse were education on drug abuse, guidance and counseling, the presence of strict drug abuse policies and parental involvement. The findings revealed that the most effective measures used in schools are guidance and counseling while the least effective are parental involvement. The two main challenges that affected addressing drug abuse effectively were registered by the findings to include minimal or lack of parental support and inadequate knowledge of all stakeholders. Among the suggestions to improve on the drug abuse interventions, it was revealed that referral to rehabilitation centres and more education programs on the effects of drug abuse among students stood out. To effectively address the challenges of drug abuse in secondary schools in Kajiado North SubCounty, the study recommends education of all the stakeholders on the strategies to address drug abuse, the involvement of students in tackling drug abuse problem through the development of peer- to- peer learning forums, increasing the frequency of the anti- drug talks and the implementation of rehabilitation programs for the chronic drug users. The study further recommends areas of further research that include parental involvement, rehabilitation, assessment of best proven practices in relations to drug abuse