Parental separation, self-esteem and substance use among early adolescents in Namungoona secondary school

Abstract

This dissertation study examines the relationship between parental separation, self-esteem and substance abuse among early adolescents. According to existing literature, parental separation is a major contributor to problems faced by most young adolescents as they must grow. Most of them fail to cope positively maybe because they don't have anyone to run to since the people they have been depending on for emotional support are no longer together this affects their self-esteem and influences them to use substances to cope with the occurring problems. To achieve the purpose of this study, questionnaires addressing parental separation, self-esteem and substance abuse were administered to 99 young adolescents of Namungoona Secondary School, ages 10 to 14. The results of the study show parental separation as a low risk factor for substance abuse among young adolescents and neither does self-esteem significantly influence the involvement of adolescents in substance abuse. While the results suggest otherwise from the literature, it is still important to stress the need to prepare adolescents for parental separation when it is being planned through counseling to minimize its negative effects on them.