Not My Kid Inc

notMYkid, with a mission of “inspiring positive life choices,” was founded fourteen years ago by a Valley family. With prevention at the forefront of all programming, rather than intervention, the small not-for-profit was designed to reach out to young people ages 12 to 19 (considered the most susceptible years), male or female and from all walks of life, who fight internal battles about what is right and wrong and how to handle situations they may face. The programs, educational and supportive by nature, are intended to encourage peer-to-peer and parent-to-parent communication about tough issues – and they work.

The amplif(i)/notMYkid program provides education on behavioral health issues that have the potential to cause lifelong harm. These topics include: substance abuse, eating disorders, depression/self-injury, unhealthy relationships, bullying, and Internet safety. Education is critical to the success of our youth, and students must be healthy (mentally and physically) to achieve their highest potential in the classroom. Our goal is to increase awareness of the challenges kids face, provide information, and offer resources to support the success of students, families, and educators. We believe that through education including tools to prevent destructive youth behavior, all young people will have the opportunity to reach their highest potential.

Among 12-17 year olds, Arizona ranks 7th in the nation for alcohol abuse or dependence, and 2nd for illicit drug dependence. Abuse rates for prescription medication are also alarming, as the state is 2nd for the nonmedical use of pain relievers (SAMSHA, 2013).

Results also suggest that the problem of substance use crosses socio-economic lines, races, and genders, and is prevalent in both rural and urban high schools. Today’s youth begin to experiment between ages 11 and 13, which is particularly troubling because the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reports that “teens who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.”

Many times, multiple destructive behaviors coincide.  In fact, 64.3% of teens who reported some form of dating violence within the past year had also used a substance (Arizona Youth Survey, 2011).  High school dropout rates also correlate with these issues.  The 2013 SAMSHA Report showed that various forms of substance use were more common in twelfth grade dropouts than in enrolled students.

According to America’s Promise Alliance, from 2010 to 2011, Arizona’s four-year high school graduation rate increased 2.5 percentage points to 77.9%. The increase is good news, but that means 22.1%, or nearly 1 in 4 students, are still not graduating. Many factors influence graduation rates, but behavior issues have a direct effect on students’ ability to perform in the classroom.  With Arizona’s negative behaviors ranking so high, it is difficult not to draw a correlation.

The amplif(i) program is designed for student groups in public, private, and charter schools, community organizations, and other venues. The program also includes parent and faculty training. The program has been recognized by community leaders and has provided presentations to nearly one million students and 100,000 parents in hundreds of schools – ranging from Title I schools in poverty stricken areas to affluent private schools where students have ample discretionary funds.

Our peer-to-peer education model is an essential component to notMYkid achieving its mission. Research suggests that people are more likely to hear and personalize messages, and thus to change their attitudes and behaviors, if they believe the messenger is similar to them and faces the same concerns and pressures. Numerous studies have demonstrated that peers influence youth’s health behaviors – not only in regard to sexuality but also in regard to violence and substance use. Peer education draws on the credibility that young people have with their peers, leverages the power of role modeling, and provides flexibility in meeting the diverse needs of today’s youth. Peer education can support young people in developing positive group norms.

notMYkid is on its way to reaching its goal of providing programming in 300 schools during the 2013-2014 school year. By 2016, our goal is to be in all 714 middle and high schools in Maricopa County. In order to achieve this, the continued support and awareness of the community is needed more than ever.

If even just one life is affected or saved by our presentations, we feel we have accomplished our mission.