Abstract

There are several studies that indicate the risk factors related to drug use, among them is adolescence, considered a period of greater vulnerability. However, the current research is interested in knowing the factors promoting health and protection, with the aim of preventing the development of risk behaviors, even in situations of vulnerability. In this perspective, religiosity has been identified as a protective factor for drug use; but, despite this, little is known about the causal mechanisms of this important phenomenon. This article presents a research that seeks to investigate the pedagogical dimensions of the religious practices of a group of adolescents belonging to an Evangelical Church in the city of Canoas – Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil, which act to protect adolescents from drug use. For this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six young people who act as leaders of the group of adolescents of the religious institution participating in the research. This context characterizes the research as a case study. For the analysis of the data, the principles of grounded-theory, or theory based on the data, were used. Thus, four pedagogical dimensions were observed in the religious practices of the group participating in the research, which could act in a protective manner to the use of drugs during adolescence. They are: education for social support; education for self-regulation; education for conscious entertainment; and education for spirituality. The research results point to the relevance of the theme to public health and to the possibility of inserting the pedagogical dimensions, found in this religious context, into educational programs to prevent drug use in adolescence.

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