The non-profit organization Rock In Prevention uses music to address various matters impacting youth. Rock In Prevention is particularly active in dealing with bullying and abuse of substances such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.Every year, nearly half a million Americans die from cigarettes, including 41,000 from secondhand smoke inhalation. Diseases and other health conditions caused by tobacco cost Americans in excess of $300 billion. Understanding the dire health and financial consequences of tobacco use, it becomes critical for parents, teachers, and other role models to educate youth on the dangers of smoking before they develop the habit.There are several ways to approach the subject of tobacco use with children, including by setting a good example for them. Because children are impressionable, it can be difficult to dissuade them from engaging in a behavior or an activity practiced by a family member or other role model.Adults must also understand that smoking is often a form of social interaction and that many teens try it as a way to fit in with their peers. Since most educated children understand the dangers of smoking, adults must also address the social reasons behind its initial use.While smoking might be socially acceptable to some, adults can point out that, because it results in bad breath, poor body odor, unattractive skin, and yellow teeth, it is a turnoff for most children and teens. Similarly, adults can highlight the fact that it is an expensive habit.
Pat McManus and his team at Rock in Prevention work to empower students to resist bullying, speak up on behalf of others, and avoid using drugs and alcohol. They are currently involved in creating a new program to teach mentors across the country to share the group's messages through workshops, music, and other activities. The programming features exciting music and digital content designed to foster positive socio-emotional experiences and awaken empathy in participants. Rock in Prevention’s recent Spanish-centered educational initiative, Rock Latino, expanded this successful evidence-based model into new communities.Bullying knows no cultural boundaries, and it continues to be a major problem for children and teens everywhere. More and more schools have recognized in particular the recent rise in ethnically based bullying targeting Latino youth, as well as the in-group bullying among Latino students. New school-based counseling and emotional support programs are growing in response to an increased demand for assistance with such problems. One recent study showed 26 percent of Latino students afraid of being bullied by their age-mates. Another report found that at least 17.2 percent of Latino young people responding had actually been bullied on their school campuses.For students from immigrant families, the problem may be most acute. Because of their imperfect knowledge of the English language and their newness to teen customs in the United States, these students may be particularly vulnerable to bullies.Some experts point out that bullying can also have an extremely detrimental effect on the lives and academic success of the highest-achieving Latino and African-American students than on their majority peers, perhaps in part because their success defies widespread negative stereotypes and results in their being singled out.
