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Prevention
is...
an active process (Lofquist, 1983)
For many people, the prevention of social problems is easier to understand when compared to the prevention of disease. No health-related problem has ever been solved by treating only the symptoms. Something must prevent those symptoms from occurring in the first place. For example, smallpox would never have been eliminated if only those who were already affected by the disease received treatment. Only after an inoculation was available that prevented the disease from occurring in the first place were we able to virtually eliminate smallpox. Prevention includes building people's resistance to problems. Treating malaria victims does not eliminate malaria epidemics. Since malaria is carried by mosquitoes, it is necessary to eliminate the carriers of the disease. Draining swamps where mosquitoes breed changes the environmental conditions that affect the spread of the disease. Prevention includes changing the environment that feeds social problems. Consider the prevalence of lung cancer or heart disease. One of the major contributing factors of both of these diseases is smoking. We can minimize the chances of acquiring these diseases by making a personal decision not to smoke. Prevention is helping people make informed decisions. The
same theory can hold true for social problems. Alcohol and other
drug abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, child abuse, eating disorders,
violence, and AIDS are affecting the health and well-being of
our children. They affect our present as well as our future. (Information taken from Prevention: The critical need, by Jack Pransky. 1991. Springfield, MO: Burrell Foundation & Paradigm Press.)
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Prevention
Pathways, 201 Miller Avenue, Norfolk, Nebraska 68701-6437 |
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