Part 2: Doing the Research (50 points, 15%)
Prepare a short (4-6 pages) research paper that identifies several key issues related to the scenario you chose for your Lot in Life (Your 16 year old comes into the house after attending a party, smelling of cigarettes and marijuana). Incorporate at least 8-10 scholarly, credible, and current references to support your ideas, drawing primarily from government and community resources/agencies as well as scholarly journals and books. Include in-text citations and a reference list in APA format.
Your paper should be double-spaced and use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, 12 pt). Be sure to include a reference list at the end of your Part 2 assignment.
Paste your Part 1 assignment in at the end of this research paper.
Assignment Format and Referencing Style
Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional use of another person’s words or ideas without giving credit to the author. Make sure you read chapter 5, Academic Integrity and Documentation, in the Guide to Writing and Research. In cases of suspected plagiarism, the assignment in question will not be graded and the student may be reported to the Dean for sanction. Sanctions can include failing the assignment, failing the course, or in extreme cases, expulsion from the university.
Web Resources
As you use the Web for information, you should be aware of the fact that the Web has both good and bad information, as well as information that is biased. There are many online resources devoted to finding and evaluating information on the Web. Do not use Wikipedia as a source for your information.
Finally, sources that tend to have good information include the following: college or university department sites (be careful of student pages; some are very good, but some are not so good), professional organizations, governmental agencies, professional journals, and regularly published newspapers and magazines.
Part 2 Grading Rubric:
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Missing
Correct number of references
10 points
Incorporates least 8-10 scholarly, credible, and current resources
8 points
Incorporates at least 6-7 scholarly, credible, and current resources
6 points
Incorporates at least 4-5 scholarly, credible, and current resources
4 points
Incorporates at least 2-3 scholarly, credible, and current resources
0 points
Incorporates less than 2 scholarly, credible, and current resources
Identification of key issues relevant to parenting scenario
15 points
Excellent job identifying and articulating several key issues related to the topic
13 points
Good job identifying and articulating key issues related to the topic but some minor omissions or problems in clarity
11 points
Fair job identifying and articulating key issues related to the topic but several minor omissions or problems in clarity
9 points
Poor job identifying and articulating key issues related to the topic with several major omissions or problems in clarity
0 points
Does not identify key issues related to the topic
Effectively supports key issues with research
15 points
Excellent job supporting identified key issues with scholarly and credible research
13 points
Good job supporting identified key issues with scholarly and credible research, but some minor omissions or problems in clarity
11 points
Fair job supporting identified key issues with scholarly and credible research, but several minor omissions or problems in clarity
9 points
Poor job supporting identified key issues with scholarly and credible research, but several major omissions or problems in clarity
0 points
Does not support identified key issues with scholarly and credible research
Citations and References
5 points
Correct use of APA format for in-text citations and references
4 points
Mostly correct use of APA format for in-text citations and references
3 points
Several errors in the use of APA format for in-text citations and references
2 points
Many errors in the use of APA format for in-text citations and references, but evidence of some citation style
0 points
No citation style used
Correct submission format
5 points
Contains all of the following:
Cover sheet
Reference list
Part 1 attached
Correct page length
Correct spacing and font
4 points
Contains 4 of the following:
Cover sheet
Reference list
Part 1 attached
Correct page length
Correct spacing and font
3 points
Contains 3 of the following:
Cover sheet
Reference list
Part 1 attached
Correct page length
Correct spacing and font
2 points
Contains 2 of the following:
Cover sheet
Reference list
Part 1 attached
Correct page length
Correct spacing and font
0 points
Contains less than 2 of the following:
Cover sheet
Reference list
Part 1 attached
Correct page length
Correct spacing and font
Part 1: Setting the Scene (Done).
Your 16 year old comes into the house after attending a party, smelling of cigarettes and marijuana.
November 5, 2018
My 16-year-old son requested to attend a party with friends, and I allowed him to attend the party. He came home late and was avoiding contact with me, but after insisting that he tells me about the party, he was smelling cigarettes and marijuana. This was not the first time that he attended a party, but this was the first time that he came home smelling cigarette and marijuana. I felt disappointed, and that moment I did not know what to do so I asked him to get some rest, and we would talk the following morning. I pondered the whole night what was the issue and how did it come to this point and what I would do about the situation.
My spouse and I have always been very close to our son, and we are free in discussing issues, and thus I did not understand how it reached this point that he can smoke cigarette and marijuana. In this stage of his life, we have always been there for him to guide him navigate through adolescence successfully. We have consistently communicated our expectations as parents, and the rule has been clear. We allow him to hang out with friends and party with them. We know all his friends, and they seem to be nice kids, and that is why we allow him to hang out with them. The freedom we have given him comes with rules and meeting those rules is paramount since breaking those rules are accompanied with consequences.
This situation has presented various issues that needed consideration. One of the issues is talking about the difficult topics with our son. Irrespective of having an open and free communication environment, as parents we have always avoided the problematic topics such as drug use and sex. Another issue that needed consideration is peer influence. We might know our son’s friends, but we do not know who they are on their own. The manner we talk to our son regarding peer influence is an issue that needs exploration. As well, another issue is our son’s involvement in the goals we set for him. My spouse and I set expectations and goals for our son, and there is little input from him towards these goals, and this issue needs to be explored in its contribution to his current behavior.
The situation needs to be addressed to avoid future use of cigarette and marijuana and thus avoid the negative consequence of drug use. One of the solutions to the situation is talking with our son about drug use. Talking to him about drug use, detailing the reasons why it is not right to engage in drug use by illuminating negative consequence, would help our son understand why it is not healthy to smoke cigarette and marijuana. Another solution is to make it clear that drug use will not be tolerated and establish ramifications that will follow. However, punishing this behavior would damage the bond with our son and thus, acknowledging the efforts to correct this behavior would be another solution. As well, encouraging our son to input in the expectations and goals we set for him would enable us to understand our son better, his strengths, weakness, desires, and interests, and use them to help him overcome this behavior.
The plan of action would entail reestablishing a strong bond of trust with our son. This will require spending more time with our son and letting him know that he can talk to us about anything and we are always there for him. Also, rewarding his effort towards dropping this behavior would offer motivation to stop smoking cigarette and marihuana. This is a worrying behavior that our son has started, and thus there is a need to address the issue before it becomes an addition.
NOTE
(Prof’s feedback for Part 1): Submission Feedback
Good start. Perhaps first, the parents must decide what the larger issue of concern is – cigarette use or
marijuana use, or both? Are there different reasons for their concerns for each of these (legality, etc.)?
What sort of behavior was the adolescent demonstrating prior? Any warning signs?
How can parents approach this topic with him/her without isolating him further?
Regarding goal setting, should the parents be setting the goals, especially at this age, or should the child set goals for him/herself?
