Personal and Professional Attitudes and Behavioral Patterns Concerning Cannabis Use of Teachers and Youth Workers in Israel

• Author: Hana Himi,Hagit Bonny-Noach
• Date: 01 January 2018
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042617729677
• Published date: 01 January 2018
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042617729677

Journal of Drug Issues

2018, Vol. 48(1) 67 –77

© The Author(s) 2017

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DOI: 10.1177/0022042617729677

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Article

Personal and Professional

Attitudes and Behavioral Patterns

Concerning Cannabis Use of

Teachers and Youth Workers in

Israel

Hana Himi1,2 and Hagit Bonny-Noach3,4

Abstract

Professionals working with adolescents may have significant influence on the pro– or anti–

cannabis use norms of those adolescents. This study is the first to explore the personal and

professional attitudes and behavioral patterns of teachers and youth workers (TYW) regarding

the use of cannabis. Self-report anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 135 teachers

and 77 youth workers; average age was 38.2 (SD = 9.8). Significant differences were found

between the personal and professional attitudes of TYW concerning cannabis use. No significant

difference was found between teachers and youth workers in patterns of use of cannabis or in

their professional attitudes. A difference was found between the personal attitudes of teachers

and those of youth workers whereby youth workers held more permissive personal attitudes

than teachers. A preventive educational program should be constructed to focus on modification

of personal and professional attitudes of TYW regarding the subject of cannabis use.

Keywords

cannabis, professional attitudes, attitudes, teachers, youth workers, Israel society

Introduction

Adolescent cannabis abuse is a public health priority in Israel. Teachers and youth workers

(TYW), who work with at-risk youth in formal and informal education settings, can play a key

role in delivering messages to promote health and may significantly influence the attitudes of

adolescents with pro– or anti–cannabis use norms (Gilbert, Richard, Lapie-Legonis, Beck, &

Vercambre, 2015; LaRusso, Romer, & Selman, 2008). However, limited research attention has

been given to the attitudes and behavioral patterns of professionals working with adolescents,

especially TYW, regarding cannabis use, either in Israel or abroad.

1Department of Youth Care Workers, Beit Berl Academic College, Israel

2NATAL, the Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, Tel Aviv, Israel

3Department of Criminology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

4Israel Anti-Drugs Authority, Jerusalem, Israel

Corresponding Author:

Himi Hana, Senior Lecturer, Department of Youth Care Workers, Faculty of Education; Department of Criminology

and Criminal Justice, Beit Berl Academic College, Beit Berl 4490500, Israel.

Email: hanahimi@inter.net.il

729677JODXXX10.1177/0022042617729677Journal of Drug IssuesHimi and Bonny-Noach

research-article2017