Thematic Elements of Parental Prevention Discussions about the Choking Game
Mentor 1
W. Hobart Davies
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
24-4-2015 10:30 AM
End Date
24-4-2015 11:45 AM
Description
The Choking Game (TCG) is a risk-taking behavior typically engaged in by adolescents involving forced asphyxiation to obtain a “high.” The serious risks of participation include seizures and death. Unfortunately, only 20% of parents report discussing the dangers of TCG with their child. While parents play an essential role in prevention efforts with children, there are presently no recommendations to guide parents’ prevention conversations. The current study sought to describe parent-child prevention discussions around TCG to guide future prevention efforts.Parents of children ranging from 6- to 12-years old were asked open-ended questions about whether they had ever discussed TCG with their child, what was said during the conversation, and how their child responded. The qualitative responses were categorized by the Delphi procedure and then coded into thematic categories. The common themes identified in parental conversations included eight essential components, present to varying degrees in the sample: Risks/Consequences (79%), Awareness (33%), Peer Context (27%), references to External Resources (23%), Basic Information (18%), Prevention Strategies (13%), Participation (12%), and Told Not To (12%). Children were reported to show a variety of responses to the discussion: Positive Response (67%), Promised Not to Participate (20%), Neutral/Indifferent Response (15%), Emotional Reaction (12%), Having Heard of the Game (9%), and Not Having Heard of the Game (4%). Parents were most likely to address aspects of the risk/consequences of participation, as well as assess their child's awareness of TCG. Generally, children responded positively to this conversation. These findings indicate that helping parents address more aspects of prevention in parent-child conversations about TCG is associated with better responding on the part of the child or adolescent. /
Thematic Elements of Parental Prevention Discussions about the Choking Game
Union Wisconsin Room
The Choking Game (TCG) is a risk-taking behavior typically engaged in by adolescents involving forced asphyxiation to obtain a “high.” The serious risks of participation include seizures and death. Unfortunately, only 20% of parents report discussing the dangers of TCG with their child. While parents play an essential role in prevention efforts with children, there are presently no recommendations to guide parents’ prevention conversations. The current study sought to describe parent-child prevention discussions around TCG to guide future prevention efforts.Parents of children ranging from 6- to 12-years old were asked open-ended questions about whether they had ever discussed TCG with their child, what was said during the conversation, and how their child responded. The qualitative responses were categorized by the Delphi procedure and then coded into thematic categories. The common themes identified in parental conversations included eight essential components, present to varying degrees in the sample: Risks/Consequences (79%), Awareness (33%), Peer Context (27%), references to External Resources (23%), Basic Information (18%), Prevention Strategies (13%), Participation (12%), and Told Not To (12%). Children were reported to show a variety of responses to the discussion: Positive Response (67%), Promised Not to Participate (20%), Neutral/Indifferent Response (15%), Emotional Reaction (12%), Having Heard of the Game (9%), and Not Having Heard of the Game (4%). Parents were most likely to address aspects of the risk/consequences of participation, as well as assess their child's awareness of TCG. Generally, children responded positively to this conversation. These findings indicate that helping parents address more aspects of prevention in parent-child conversations about TCG is associated with better responding on the part of the child or adolescent. /
