Risk Factors for Recent Increased Drug Use in Adolescents.

Risk Factors for Recent Increased Drug Use in Adolescents

Author: Casey Perry

SUPA Sociology student at Fairport High School

Abstract:

I went through the process of obtaining data from six professional journal articles. I have concluded that there are two dominant variables, family and peer relationships, along with multiple other variables; which may heighten the risk for drug use in adolescents between the ages of fourteen and seventeen over the past ten years. The other supporting variables are age, gender, ethnicity and victimization. But the two most important variables in determining drug use in teens are their peer and family relationships.

Introduction:

Drug use has become more popular among adolescents between the ages of fourteen to seventeen years of age over the past ten years. “A National Institute Drug Abuse review of the last ten years of research on drug abuse shows that adolescent drug abuse rose sharply between 1992 and 1996” (Alcoholism Report 1998). If we can target the causes to this on going dilemma we may begin to take some precautions and decrease the risky behaviors of today’s and future teens. A user is defined as someone who has used illegal drugs or alcohol more than five times. In recent years teen drug use has increased due to multiple variables.

Methodology:

I am a student at Fairport Senior High School writing a thesis paper for a SUPA Sociology class. I have used secondary analysis and synthesis to support a thesis. The secondary analysis was of nine professional journal articles written about increased drug use factors. I read, highlighted and annotated each article and pulled information from each to support my thesis.

Environmental Variables:

Peer Influence

If problems in formation of a personal identity persist, drug use may become their escape. Adolescence is a time when the majority of teens will experience their first exposure to drugs and/ or alcohol, if one ever makes the choice to experiment with drugs (Zoccolillo 1999). A person’s teen years are also a time for identity development. Their social environment is closely linked to possible drug addiction (Leshner 1999). Peers are a teen’s life, the bonds made between one another are very strong, and drug use may be another let out for a poor ability to bond with others.

“Peer influences have been found to be among the strongest predictors of drug use during adolescence, and they represent a key contrast in numerous theories of the etiology and maintenance of adolescents’ drug use. It has been suggested that peer variables not only dominate the prediction of drug use but mediate the effects of other variables” (Farrell, White 1998).

The group of peers one does associate with will have a great impact on the

individual based on the group’s behavior and drug norms.

This is a preview of the whole essay

The group of peers one does associate with will have a great impact on the

individual based on the group’s behavior and drug norms.

Negative peer bonding will increase the risk for teen drug use. Negative peer bonding is when an individual feels they aren’t accepted, or have difficulty fitting in with their peers. The risk for drug use is only present if the bonds between the individual and the group, or family is weak. If a teen’s family relationship is not strong, he may turn to their peers for support. If the friends that he is turning to are users, they will influence the individual to begin to use because he is in an environment where using is accepted. Also, adolescents will be more adept to use because he can turn to his peers to side with him and make him feel more confident about himself. This process of turning to your peers for acceptance and reassurance is not only increasing risks for drug use, but it is also deteriorating family bonds, which is another variable for increased substance use.

If the peer group, in which an individual associates with, has behavioral patterns of frequent drug use that person may be in a high-risk situation for possible drug use himself. Frequent drug use is present in many youth’s everyday activities. “More than 70% reported going to school high on drugs, and the majority reported playing sports while high and using drugs in the morning” (Zoccolillo 1999). This percentage is of high school students with a mean age of 15.7 years. It has been found that a high number of students involve drugs in two or more of their daily routines such as school, sports, and other recreational activities.

Peers assist in identity formation of teens. Their influence is one of the strongest to predict whether or not an individual will or will not use drugs. Peers are the first to introduce drugs into one’s life and support the use. If the identity of an adolescent has been accepted by a group of teens that are involved in drug use, then the possibilities are much greater for the individual to begin, or continue using because of the pressure put on them by their peers (Farrell 1998). The more someone associates with a specific group of individuals who use, is offered drugs, and is accepted by this group for identity support the more likely it is that they will become a user.

Family Influence:

An individual’s family will make a great impact on his decisions. If an adolescent and parent have either a positive or negative relationship, it will be a determining variable to the choices made whether to use drugs or abstain. Parent traditions and values will become that of their child, if they are accepting of drug use. The probable outcome will be a user. Also, if there is an abundance of stress of achievement and success, teens may turn to drugs as a way to cope with it because they feel that they are not capable of reaching their parents expectations.

Relationships whether positive or negative will impact an adolescent’s decision to use drugs. “ Parental influence has also been found to play and important role. Baumrind suggested that although experimentation with alcohol and drugs maybe normative for youth, substance use may be attenuated by parents- adolescent relationship quality” (Farrell, White 1998). If a teen has a positive relationship with his parents who support him, he will be less likely to use drugs. The support will increase his self-esteem, which in turn will not force the child to turn to his peers, who may use, for support. But, negative relationships, consisting of multiple conflicts, between parents and adolescents will lead to the adolescent’s deviant behavior and drug use. Poor relationships increase chances of teens obtaining these deviant behaviors, and associating with deviant peers. Drugs are a way for teens to cope with this parent-adolescent conflict.

Mothers play a much more significant role in the lives of adolescents. Their relationship with their mom has a greater influence that with their father. “Studies that have examined associating between adolescents abstinence from drug use and maternal affection” (Farrell, White 1998). If a mother displays rejection toward her son or daughter there is a high level of possibility that they will begin problematic drug use.

A parent’s ability to moderate the peer influence on their child and put more emphasis on their own norms and values is a protective factor on their teen. On the other hand if parents are influencing poor norms and values and are drug users themselves the risk for use will rise because the adolescent has been thought its ok. They see their parents doing it, who have the most influence on their behavior. “Parental substance use appears to increase risk of adolescent substance use directly” (Farrell, White 1998).

The influence of an adolescent’s parents on their decisions and behaviors are just as great as the influence from their peers on whether the teen will or will not begin drug usage. If an unfavorable parent- adolescent relationship is present it can be a determining factor on whether one will become a user or not. “Parent- adolescent relationships were found to affect an adolescents personality, influencing peer selection, which in turn has an impact on drug use” (Bhattacharya 1998) If there is a strong maternal relationship the risk for usage will decrease significantly. Parents should also take the president to moderate the influence of peers on their child. If they’re own influence of good, moral values are placed upon them, and then the teen will follow them and not commence in using.

Biological Variables:

Ethnicity

An adolescent’s ethnicity can effect whether he/ she will become a drug user. If there is not a strong sense of ethnic identity present, conflict between generations, which have different levels of intensity, put on their ethnicity, maybe lead second-generation adolescents to using drugs. A sense of fitting into the dominant culture and assimilating to the norms presented to them is important to adolescents. But, if to parents the sense of ethnic unity is number one in their eyes it may cause conflict and weakened family bonds.

“The cultural distance between host and original countries further intensifies the stress of acculturation and adaptation. This can lead to family conflict and communication deficits, leading to alienation between parent and children, which, in turn, often manifests itself in delinquency and drug use.”(Bhattacharya 1998)

The possibility for loss of ethnic identity is devastating for some parents, and they put great amounts of pressure on their children to support that. When adolescents try to deviate from their parent’s ethnical norms, the conflict that occurs between them is lessened by the adolescents drug use.

In a situation where ethnicity is not so influential on ones life, it can still make a difference in the likelihood of drug use. In a study it was confirmed that Caucasians were at a higher risk than African Americans for drug use in teens (Kilpatrick 2000). For many Caucasian and African Americans, their ethnicity isn’t as important as someone from a foreign ethnicity, who still lives by their native morals. African Americans are at a reduced risk relative to Caucasians.

Gender

Differences between male and female genders can make a difference in the risk for drug use. Males have been found to be more prone to alcohol dependence and marijuana use (Kilpatrick 2000). They are at a much greater risk than females are for drug use. Males are “less concerned about drugs ill effects” (Holmes 1996). Although the increase in drug use is present in both genders, it has been more prevalent in males than females.

Victimization:

Victimization of adolescents is a variable that may increase the risk of future drug use. Victimization of an adolescent is either sexual or physical assault, violence, such as being shot, stabbed, mugged, robbed or being threatened with a weapon or witnessing any of those acts (Kilpatrick 2000). Violence plays a role in increased risk to drug uses because the substance use is a strategy to cope with the stress produced by the violent acts. It is a dysfunctional way of coping, but for some it may be all that seems to work, at the given time. Adolescents who were victims of assault or violence began to use drugs at a younger age, compared to those who were witnesses (Kilpatrick 2000). The risk for drug use was the highest during the year after the occurrence or witness of the violent act. “Risk of substance abuse or dependence was consistently elevated in adolescents who had been victims of assault or who had witnessed violence” (Kilpatrick 2000).

Discussion:

It is devastating how much the use of drugs amongst teens has risen in the past ten years. I think that there are many ways of preventing this increase in drug use in the teen population. If we begin improving these variables that have caused the problems in the beginning and raise awareness to adolescents about the risks and problems that are due to drug use, they will think again about experimentation.

Conclusion:

There are multiple variables contributing to the increased drug use in adolescents over the past ten years. The two variables that had the greatest impact on teen drug use are an adolescents family association and peer group. Other contributing factors were ethnicity and gender and victimization. Although they were just minor variables, to a group sample they can severely effect an individual behavior.

Peer and family relationships are the two more influential variables in an adolescent’s life. If his/ her relationships with either of them are inadequate it can cause drug-affiliated problems. The effects of the parent- adolescent relationships, maternal affection and parental norm influence are directed towards the drug use in adolescents. “The relationship between disruptive family relationships and deviant behavior among adolescents, including drug use, is well recognized” (Bhattacharya 1998). Parents can influence whom their child does or does not associate with. If they do not monitor their peers, they may end up affiliating with the deviant crowd, who can then in turn influence drug use.

Gender, ethnicity and victimization are variables that can not be altered to a certain degree but do effect the risk of drug use in adolescents. Males are at greater risk for alcohol and marijuana use, over females. An individuals ethnicity can also play a role in drug use. Whether you’re Caucasian, African American, Chinese or Mexican, your ethnic background can influence your choice to use or abuse drugs. Victimization is another variable, because as a result of an assault or violent act an individual may feel they need to turn to drugs as a way to cope with the pressures, and to forget about the incident.