Meaning of the experience of substance abuse amongst a group of teenagers institutionalized

Abstract

The aim of this investigation is to understand the meaning that a group of institutionalized adolescents assign to the experience of consuming psychoactive substances. In order to do so, a qualitative methodology was designed, which took social constructionism and hermeneutics as epistemological and methodological referents. The technique used to collect data was an indepth interview. The analysis allowed to understand that these teens look to their peers for recognition in order to feel as part of a group. This becomes a risk factor for consumption and crime associated with it, because they are driven by the expectation of experiencing new emotions. The meaning assigned to the experience with their families is a lack of support, which is used to justify consumption. However, they have positive expectations regarding the future, which include the wish that their children not repeat these life stories