Attachment 7: Interview Guide Child

ATTACHMENT 7

Child Interview Guide

OMB No. 0930-0196

Expiration Date: 09/30/2013

Public Burden Statement: An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this project is 0930-0196. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per respondent per year, including time for responding to questions, reviewing message concepts provided, and sharing reactions and ideas within the group. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 8-1099, Rockville, Maryland, 20857.

SAMHSA Underage Drinking Prevention

National Media Campaign

One-on-One, In-depth Interview Guide

CHILDREN AGES 9 to 15

Please note: the term “kids” is intentionally proposed rather than “children” in this interview guide, because moderators believes that children ages 9 to15 will react negatively to being directly addressed as “children,” viewing it as pejorative and annoying.

1. Introduction and Ground Rules (5 minutes)

1. Greeting:

Thank you for taking time to come talk to me today. My name is [name], and part of my job is to travel around the country talking to kids like you about different topics. Today I am helping an organization that is planning an advertising campaign aimed at parents, step-parents and grand-parents of kids your age, and we want to see what you think about it. I’m talking with a lot of other kids your age, too.

B. Ground Rules:

• We’ll talk for about 40 to 45 minutes.

• There are no right or wrong answers—I just want your honest reactions and what you think. You may chose not to answer a question or to stop the interview at any time. If you decide to end the interview you will still get the money we promised.

• Your comments are private; no one but me will know exactly what you said—not even your parents—because I’m going to write a report that lumps your answers together with those from all the other kids I’m talking to. I’m audiotaping, too, to help me write the report, but only people working on the project will ever hear the tape. Are you OK with that?

• One more thing—do you see that mirror? There are people behind it observing us; they are people on my team, people I work with who also want to hear your answers.

• Also, if you have a cell phone, would you turn off all the sounds so we don’t get interrupted? [Thanks.]

• Any questions before we start?

II. Warm up (2 minutes)

1. First, I just want to hear a little bit about you. How old are you and what grade are you in?

2. What are some of the activities you do outside of school?

• What do you like (or don’t like) about [repeat activities the child mentioned]?

III. Issues and Concerns (15 minutes)

I want to ask you a little bit about what it’s like at school, about hanging out with your friends, and about other kids you know.

• What are the best things about school? (PROBE: What do you like about that?)

• What’s the worst thing about school? (PROBE: Why don’t you like [repeat what the child said]?)

• What do you like to do when you hang out with your friends?

• Tell me about some things that are a problem, or a challenge, for you or your friends.

  • PROBE: [If not mentioned] How much of a problem any of these are for you or any of your friends. [If child indicates it is a fairly significant problem, ask them to talk about a recent example.]

    • Your parents [step-parent/grandparents] wanting you to study or do more homework than you want to do

    • Bullying from other kids

    • Feeling pressure to do things you don’t want to do

    • Smoking cigarettes or using tobacco

    • Drinking beer, wine, or any other kind of alcohol

1. Have you ever talked to your parents [step-parent/grandparents] about any of these things, or have they talked to you about it?

• [If so] Which ones have you talked about?

• Which parent: mom, dad, or both [step-mother/step-father/grandfather, grandmother]?

NOTE: If drinking IS NOT mentioned as a topic in A above SKIP to C below.

NOTE: If drinking IS mentioned as a topic in A above CONTINUE.

2. I want to talk with you about any conversation your mom, or dad, [step-mother/step-father/grandfather/grandmother] or both have had with you about alcohol.

• Why do you think your parents [step-parent, grandparents] wanted to talk to you about alcohol?

• What kinds of things did your [mom/dad/parents/step-mother/step-father, grandmother, grandfather] say?

  • What did you think about what your [mom/dad/parents/stepmother] said?

• What do you WISH they had said to you?

• Was it easy or hard to talk with your [mom/dad/parents/step-mother/step-father/grandparents] about this?

• What would make it easier to talk with your [mom/dad/parents/step-mother/step-father/grandparents] about things like this?

• Does it make a difference when your [mom/dad/parent(s)/step-mother/step-father/grandparents] talk to you about things like this – does it affect what you think, or what you do?

3. [If drinking is not mentioned] I want to talk with you about the possibility of your parents [step-parent/grandparent(s)] talking to you about kids drinking alcohol.

• Do you know any kids who drink alcohol sometimes?

• Do you think it would be a good idea for your parents to talk to you about drinking alcohol?

• If your parents did talk to you, what do you think they might say?

  • What would you WANT them to say to you?

  • What would you NOT want them to say to you?

• What are some of things that they might say that would keep you from drinking?

IV. Responses to Message Ideas (15 minutes)

Now I’m going to ask you to react to a couple of specific things your [mom/dad/parents] might say.

1. What if your parent [step-parent, grandparent] told you this:

(READ) Your brain is not fully developed until your mid-20s. Drinking when your brain is not fully developed may cause permanent damage to your memory and your ability to learn.

• Does that sound believable?

• Have you heard something like this before?

• How persuasive would this be to a kid who was thinking about drinking?

• What else would you want to know about this statement?

2. And here’s the last message I’m going to read that parents [step-parents, grandparents] may say.

(READ) Even if it seems like we’re always making rules and telling you what to do and not do, we want you to know the dangers of drinking alcohol because we care about you. We’re trying to help you make good decisions so you can grow up to have a healthy and successful life.

• What are you first reactions to this statement?

• Does that sound believable?

• Have you heard something like this before?

• How persuasive would this be to a kid who was thinking about drinking?

• What else would you want to know about this statement?

V. Influence of Parents and Other Adults, Setting, Time and Place of Effective Conversations (5 minutes)

1. Are there other adults besides your parents [step-parents/grandparent(s)] that you listen to on important topics like the ones we’ve talked about today?

• PROBE: Who?

2. Whether or not you have had conversations about kids drinking alcohol with either or both of your parents [step-parents/grandparent(s)], I want you to think about what is the best time or place or way for them to talk to you about a topic like this one.

• What would be the best situation?

• What makes this situation better than others?

• Are there any ways you would not want your parents [step-parents/grandparent(s)] to talk to you? Anything that would be awkward or uncomfortable?

VI. Wrap Up (3 minutes)

1. Do you have any questions for me?

2. I think that’s just about it. Thank you so much for your time.