Policymaker Interview and Report

Part 1: Policymaker Interview and Report

In most cases, policymakers are perceived to be individuals or a group of people involved in developing policies and policy decisions. The policies can be in terms of ideas or plans and, most significantly, those that an organization or the government carries out. In this case, the controversial issues are the fact that there has been a huge number of adolescent substance abuse, which is also seen to have a connection or relationship with juvenile delinquency. Therefore, in this case, the policymakers come in to ensure that there are standards that are set to help the adolescent minimize substance abuse and ensure that they can mitigate juvenile delinquency. 

What is your role related to the problem/issue of adolescent substance use and juvenile delinquency, and how do you interact with the issue daily or weekly?

As a policymaker, there is tabled information that one gathers. The major role is to ensure that I can filter all that information and different situations brought into a strategic and logical policy or policy. For example, regarding the issue of substance use and juvenile delinquency, some policies have been developed over time that helps mitigate or control substance abuse. Some of the policies created include the fact that any adolescent found abusing substances can now be held in a prison where they are monitored, rehabilitated, and shaped into better people (Purtle et al., 2021). My other role is to ensure that all the adolescents who get convicted of drug abuse face a fair trial and are found guilty. I am also responsible in law to ensure that I protect intelligence sources and methods from deciding which documentation or policies should be declassified.

In my daily and weekly schedule, I encounter several cases of substance. Bearing in mind that the diversification taking place in the world has a significant impact concerning the high number of adolescents trapped in substance abuse. Regarding research that was conducted within my region. There is an Approximate 2.1 million youths below the age of 18 getting arrested. Despite the numbers and rates of delinquency cases dropping, they are approximately 1.7 million delinquency cases in the juvenile that get disposed of. 

In my area of jurisdiction, there are approximately three to four cases of substance abuse and juvenile delinquency. That means that I often encounter or deal with a case of substance use and juvenile delinquency in a week, which makes it a priority. Therefore, the government has joined hands with the different policymakers and other institutions that champion substance abuse to reduce the weekly reported cases. The interaction with these cases also provides a better understanding of handling them and evolving and changing.  

How long have you been involved with this issue/problem?

The issue of substance use and juvenile delinquency has been controversial for over a decade. I have served as a policymaker for nine years, which means I have been involved in the issue.

What if any was your prior experience with this problem/issue?

Because several people have commonly known substance abuse, the strategies applied to battle it is also well known. My experience concerning the issues was taught in my middle school about substance abuse and the different sensitization seminars I attended. Through that, I have managed to gather knowledge that has equipped me with the ability to discern the good from the bad and which situations need what kind of punishment because some of the minors find themselves in the middle of the wrong company and, in most cases that is what happens.

Did you receive any education/training to deal with the problem/issue, etc.)?

To become a policymaker, one must complete some minimum educational criteria, obtaining a master’s degree. The fact that policymakers may come from various fields makes up a wide concept that you cannot narrow down to a given field of study since policies are made from all dimensions. I received training before being absorbed into the system as a certified policymaker. I specialized with the issues of substance use and juvenile delinquency which is why most of my engagements revolve around the issue of concern in this case. 

What have been the biggest challenges, and what has been the most gratifying experience for you as you have worked with this issue/problem? 

The most difficult thing I have encountered is not enough attention to prevent problems from arising. Even though the issue of substance use has become a common challenge and phenomenon among the youths, it is also clear that little emphasis has been made on devising the methods that can completely curb the issue. Moreover, as technology advances and diversification become the order of the day, the different stakeholders’ trends regarding curbing the issues become useless (Meisel et al., 2019). As a result, the government has been forced to generate different policies to cope with the substance abusers’ new strategies. 

On the other hand, the most gratifying experience that I have had in my undertakings is the fact that I was able to seize substance use in my area of jurisdiction through the trace that was made by my team where we managed to get hold of the supplier which has brought down the number of the substance user in the area as well as the cases that were brought on board were considerably low.

In your opinion, what are some causes of this problem?

Some of the causes of substance abuse among adolescents and youths, in general, include peer pressure, genetic factors, mass media representation of drugs used as freedom, developmental changes, and the accessibility of those drugs. In addition, however, the issue of psychiatric conditions such as mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and personality disorder may also lead to the use of the substance. 

In your opinion, what are some of the effects of this problem?

           Substance users’ effects are academic challenges, poor peer relationships, health-related issues, and the juvenile justice system. 

How could this problem be solved?

The problem could be solved by creating sensitization programs that can help individuals who are indulging or planning to understand the adversities related to the process they want to indulge in. In addition, there is also the need to create programs that can help those who want to be reformed from substance abuse where they can be helped and built so that they can be useful in society. 

Upon completing the interview, please write a report of the stakeholder’s responses to your interview questions.

According to the stakeholder, the policymaker, there is a need to curb substance use and juvenile delinquency. That can be achieved by collaborating with all stakeholders and holding sensitization campaigns to help adolescents understand the adversities of substance use. The stakeholder also made it clear that there is a training requirement needed for one to become a stakeholder. The requirements are that before undertakings the course, there will be the need t ensure that one is a holder of a master’s degree.

Part 2: Reflection

What was something useful you learned that would help you write the paper?

I learned that substance abuse is an activity that can land one into trouble, such as crime and other juvenile delinquency. I also learned that not all those convicted of substance use are addicts. Situations and others force some by their peers. I have also learned stakeholders’ role in ensuring that substance use is curbed. It has also become clear to me that their only way to ensure that the adolescent is helped from the substance use situation is not through severe punishment to those convicted. Still, instead, they can take time to understand the circumstance that drove the individual to the act. This is because the modern world has become controversial, and the most affected age is around teenagers and adolescents.

What did you learn that confirms your prior knowledge from your research?

I learned that the highest number of substance users are adolescents and youths. For the government to curb the issue, there is a need to intervene on what leads adolescents and youths to substance use. They create resources such as resource centers to help the youths discover their talent and nature them, hence avoiding the bad companies. I also came to terms with the fact that substance abuse is an activity that is driven by several forces, and there is always the need to ensure that the issues facing the substance abusers are sorted or rectified to help the individual. This fact has come up in several of the cases I handled before and the different engagements I have had over time. 

What information surprised you?

Most of the individuals involved in substance use are influenced by different situations and challenges they face in life. The information was surprising because it is believed that most substance users are individuals with the worst characters, and they are capable of doing anything. Surprisingly, some of the victims are usually in this kind of situation not because they intended to but because they needed to fix a situation in their lives or were influenced by their peers. The different approaches used to ensure that the issues get curbed have been wrong since the focus has been on the substance users who were perceived as criminals, and the perspective affects the kind of help they can get. It is surprising how most people who were convicted are not even criminals.

How did the insights you learned from the interview help you understand your research problem better?

The insight learns helped me understand that the issue of substance use is not a new topic. It is an issue that has been there for decades, and the biggest challenge that the policymakers and other stakeholders face is that the world keeps evolving. The dynamics of how these substances are used keep changing, making those responsible for its mitigation face the challenge of remaining updated. Which has become hectic since accessing the substances is now made possible remotely. Through the interview, I was able to see the issue of substance use and juvenile delinquency from another perspective and have different opinions concerning the people I regarded as substance users. That is because most people are not understood, and they get judged because they are substance users, which kills their chance to get help.

References

Purtle, J., Nelson, K. L., Henson, R. M., Horwitz, S. M., McKay, M. M., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2021). Policy Makers’ Priorities for Addressing Youth Substance Use and Factors That Influence Priorities. Psychiatric services, appi-ps.

Meisel, Z. F., Mitchell, J., Polsky, D., Boualam, N., McGeoch, E., Weiner, J., ... & Cannuscio, C. C. (2019). Strengthening partnerships between substance use researchers and policy makers to take advantage of a window of opportunity. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 14(1), 1-8.