Think your child might be caught up with drugs, but aren’t sure and want to get to the bottom of it? Here are some tips for your next steps.

Every parent wants to know their child is safe, healthy, and making the right decisions. However, children and teenagers lack decision making capacity based on their brain development which means, naturally, they may rebel.

This eventuality is part and parcel of being a parent. That said, it’s important to know when your child is simply doing normal teenage things, or whether they may be mixed up in something potentially career or life threatening.

Drugs are one of these potential things. Whether it be the risk of having to involve production of controlled drugs solicitors, or even just solicitors for possession, or possession with intent to supply, the criminal repercussions are serious. In this article, we explore some tips for how to approach the situation if you feel your child may be involved in something related to drugs.

Question Why You Suspect This

First and foremost, you may need to take a step back and question why you think this may be the case.

Have you found drug paraphernalia in your child’s bedroom, or perhaps you’ve overheard a conversation they’ve had with a friend or over the phone? Alternatively, maybe they’ve been buying lots of new technology or clothes, and you are unsure how they’ve acquired these funds. These are quite tangible reasons that are likely to make you question their actions.

Alternatively, perhaps your child is showing signs of drug use, in which case, you should definitely broach the topic. However, are you making an assumption based on the friends they’ve been keeping? Perhaps your internal biases have led you to judgements that may be unfounded?

Whatever the reason, you should check yourself first to make sure your suspicions are founded.

Don’t Snoop, Talk to Them

Your instinct may be to snoop, whether it be by searching your child’s bedroom, reading their diary, or accessing their social media and phone. However, this is a breach of their privacy, and the most honest way to go about this will be to confront them. Although I do understand why some parents are tempted to track mobile phones. It is better if you can have an open and honest conversation instead.

Be Non-Judgemental

Truthfully, your child is likely to lie and keep the situation under wraps. But, this doesn’t have to be a fraught situation – you just need to emphasise that they won’t be in trouble, and you won’t involve the authorities at this stage. They need to know that you’re there to talk to them openly and without judgement.

We’ve all been silly teenagers at one point, so we know how these things go. The more you can encourage them that this is a safe, non-judgemental zone, the more likely you’ll have success. Let them explain in their own words what they’ve done, without jumping to conclusions.

This is especially important if your child may be in a dangerous situation that they are unsure how to handle. In this case, they need to know they can trust you to listen and do what’s best for them.

Choose a Good Time and Place

Choose a time where there are minimal distractions, and you can sit down together and have a private one-to-one discussion about the situation. Have the conversation in a safe area, for example their bedroom or your living room or kitchen. You could even take them on a walk to the local park where you can be on neutral ground.

Get Someone to Help You

Your child may feel defensive if they’re approached by their parent, unfortunately. So, perhaps you could involve someone your child trusts or admires in the conversation about drugs?

Maybe it’s a teacher, a guardian, an aunt or uncle, or a sibling. Whoever it may be, see if they can join the conversation to encourage an open discourse.

It’s important, though, not to bombard them so your child doesn’t feel overwhelmed and confronted. Don’t add too many people to the mix, or it could become fraught and may have the opposite effect.

Tell Them How It Makes You Feel

You should give your child the space to say their peace, without interruptions. However, you should also let them know how this information makes you feel. No doubt, if you express that you’re worried about them and their future, they may feel more inclined to be honest with you.

Seek Support

If your child is still not being open and honest with you, and you have reason to believe they may be in trouble, be sure to seek some sort of support. A professional organisation, like the NSPCC, should be able to point you in the right direction for any guidance.

Addiction in the family can be hard for everyone, but there is plenty of help out there.

Do You Have Any Advice?

As you can see, dealing with a situation like this can be tricky, especially if you feel your child will avoid telling the truth. The important things to remember are to make sure your assumptions are based on fact rather than bias, and to encourage a no judgement zone during the discourse.

Have you ever had to deal with a situation like this? What did you find work for you when approaching the topic with your child? Be sure to leave your experiences and thoughts in the comments down below.