euro peers - Aims of the project
The target group for euro peers comprised 12-14-year-old school students who, as opinion leaders, are able to wield a considerable degree of social influence in their school classes. This age group was also chosen because the consumption habits of children and teenagers have still not finally stabilised at this stage of their development. Primary prevention messages can therefore still be effective.
With the euro peers project, euro net pursued its objectives at two levels: firstly it was concerned with concrete peer work in the aforementioned group; the other project level was concerned with developing addiction prevention methods and standards through the sharing of European experience.
Aims of the peer work
- Providing peer training for the 'opinion leaders'
Teaching the basic principles behind addiction prevention programmes; the intention is that the 'opinion leaders' positively influence their groups and, in so doing, counteract the basic conditions leading to the development of addiction problems. Such conditions include, for example, a lack of enjoyment or conflict skills. - Achieving a peer effect in school classes and peer groups
To date, young people have been mostly involved in addiction prevention by attempting to disseminate information on addiction and drugs within their classes. euro peers tried for the first time, in addition to this, to utilise the influence that 'opinion leaders' have on their peers during their daily social interaction. - Activating the relationship between youths, parents and teachers
In addition to the young people themselves, parents and teachers also often have unique access to the target group. For the first time within a long-term European project, these possibilities for exerting influence were taken in account by euro peers so that they could help in achieving addiction prevention goals.
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