![handle is hein.journals/jcrimjed35 and id is 1 raw text is: JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION
2024, VOL. 35, NO. 1, 1-19
https://doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2022.2097719
Rf outledge
Taylor & Francis Group
Changes in Students' Attitudes towards Substance Use
and Treatment: A Mixed Method Inquiry on Experiential
Learning Tactics
Tereza Trejbalova , Linsey A. Belisleb and Emily J. Salisburyc
'School of Public Affairs, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA; bDepartment of Criminal
Justice and Social Work, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX, USA; cCollege of Social
Work, Utah Criminal Justice Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY
Experiential learning is a valuable tool to increase students' Received 2 February 2022
understanding of complex phenomena we encounter in criminal Accepted 27 June 2022
justice classrooms. This study uses a mixed methods research
design to explore the impact of short-term experiential learning KEYWORDS
tactics in an upper-division course on substance use and treat- Experiential learning;
ment. Students were asked to attend a lecture given by an indi- substan etho s
vidual who has engaged in drug use and then either volunteer in
a treatment-related facility or conduct interviews on drug-related
topics. Reflection papers on these experiences from 21 participat-
ing students form the qualitative portion of this study. To meas-
ure the impact quantitatively, two validated surveys on attitudes
towards drug use and harm reduction were completed by the
students at the beginning and at the end of the semester.
Findings from both data sources are integrated to provide a holis-
tic understanding of how the experiential learning tactics
impacted students' views towards substance use and harm reduc-
tion. Our results suggest that the tactics helped students address
some of their preconceived notions about harm reduction, drugs,
and those who use them, as well as enhanced the course mater-
ial. We conclude with a discussion focused on practical implica-
tions, limitations, and suggestions for future directions.
Introduction
Substance use disorder (SUD) represents a major social and public health problem in
the United States, as approximately 20.4 million individuals' in the U.S. met the diag-
nostic criteria in 2019 (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
[SAMHSA], 2020). Only a fraction of those with an SUD received treatment in the same
year (1.5% or 4.2 million), leaving about 16.2 million individuals untreated (SAMHSA,
2020). Since an SUD diagnosis is a highly stigmatized condition (Cloyd, Stiles, &
Diekhoff, 2021), many view the societal stigma and its negative consequences as
CONTACT Tereza Trejbalova ttrejbalova@sdsu.edu
'Includes individuals over the age of 12 years old (see SAMHSA, 2020).
C 2022 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/jcrimjed35&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
What Is HeinOnline?
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most
Contact us for annual subscription options:
Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?
profiles profiles most