Table 2.
Responses to Substance Offer Scenarios
| Strategy type | Brainstormed as potential responsea | Preferred: “Would work every time”b | Rejected: “Would never use”b | Preferred adjusted to 100%c | Rejected adjusted to 100%c |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refuse—say “No” to the offer or that you do not want to use the substance | 10.5% | 11.0% (38/345) | 23.2% (80/345) | 5.9% | 15.2% |
| Explain—give a reason for resisting the offer, including a fabricated reason | 14.6% | 10.3% (39/380) | 7.1% (27/380) | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Avoid/Evade—stay away from the situation or take an evasive action while remaining | 4.6% | 10.0% (19/190) | 4.2% (8/190) | 5.3% | 2.8% |
| Leave—leave the surroundings altogether or move away from the offeror or substance | 11.2% | 18.1% (52/287) | 8.7% (25/287) | 9.6% | 5.7% |
| Pass—pass on the offered substance to someone else | 4.4% | 13.2% (16/121) | 5.8% (7/121) | 7.0% | 3.8% |
| Pretend—create a pretense of accepting the offer without using the substance | 2.2% | 23.6% (21/89) | 2.2% (2/89) | 12.5% | 1.5% |
| Redirect—change the subject or offer a substitute activity; give an irrelevant or inane response unconnected to the offer | 7.3% | 7.7% (19/248) | 10.9% (27/248) | 4.1% | 7.1% |
| Destroy/Discard—destroy the substance, openly or discreetly; eliminate the chance for others to use it | 4.9% | 15.5% (29/187) | 6.4% (12/187) | 8.3% | 4.2% |
| Set Relationship Boundaries—question the appropriateness of the offeror’s behavior, given their relationship | 3.4% | 14.8% (20/135) | 5.9% (8/135) | 7.9% | 3.9% |
| Accept—accept the substance offered or agree to take it, including conditionally | 13.4% | 24.4% (78/320) | 30.9% (99/320) | 13.0% | 20.3% |
| Anger/Aggression—negative verbal or physical response | 1.5% | 8.5% (8/94) | 23.4% (22/94) | 4.5% | 15.4% |
| Challenge—counter offer with strong language, forceful opinions, or name calling; challenge the offeror’s status | 14.1% | 12.3% (41/333) | 22.5% (75/333) | 6.5% | 14.8% |
| Deny/Disclaim—view offer as hypothetical or counter-factual; state that (s)/he and/or other people would not use the substance | 6.8% | 8.7% (24/276) | 1.1% (3/276) | 4.6% | 0.7% |
| Distance/Reflect—assess or judge others’ substance use in a detached manner; distance oneself from them or their actions | 1.0% | 10.0% (4/40) | 0.0% (0/40) | 5.3% | 0.0% |
| Total N (responses or selections) | 410 | 408/3045 | 395/3045 | ||
| Total % | 100% | 188.1c | 152.4c | 100% | 100% |
a
Percentage of all strategies presented on poster boards as initially brainstormed potential responses to the 25 scenarios.
b
Raw count/number of times this strategy type was presented.
c
Percentages adjusted proportionally across all types to add to 100% (i.e., multiplying column 3 percentages by 100/188.1 and column 4 percentages by 100/152.4.