Abuse Among Adolescents

“Since the beginning of history humans have searched for substances that would sustain and protect them and also act on the nervous system to produce pleasurable sensations” (Santrock, 2007). Drugs provide people with a temporary way to cope with the difficulties of life, to feel comfortable in social settings, and to feel good about whom they are. Adolescents are no different. They too use drugs to gain these temporary feelings and sensations.

“Drug abuse among young people is one of the greatest challenges of our time” (Shedler and Black, 1990). The prevalence of drug use among adolescents is a disturbing phenomenon that has been investigated for decades. When adolescents abuse drugs, their lives can be adversely affected (Jenkins
& Zunguze, 1998; Wynn, Schulenberg, Kloska, & Laetz, 1997). In an effort to uncover the underlying causes of this phenomenon, researchers have highlighted peer influence as one of the key factors in determining drug use (Jenkins & Zunguze, 1998). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze research articles that examine the relationship between peer influence and drug use among adolescents.

In their study, Olds and Thombs (2001) compared the implication of peer behavior and parental involvement with regards to their effects on cigarette and alcohol use among adolescents from grades seven to twelve. The hypothesis of this study is that young teenagers who engage in cigarette and alcohol use are more likely to be affected by insufficient parental involvement. In contrast, older teenagers are more likely to be influenced by their peers in their decision to use cigarettes and alcohol (Olds& Thombs, 2001).

By using questionnaires, Olds and Thombs (2001) obtained responses about the cigarette and alcohol use of the teen participants. The study indicated that most students, regardless of the grade level, engaged in cigarette and alcohol use in order to imitate their close friends and “fit in” with the typical student population (Olds& Thombs, 2001). Although Olds and Thombs (2001) asserted that the results did not undermine the significance of parental involvement in adolescent drug use, they contradicted themselves by stating that parents play a more important role in influencing their children before seventh grade.

According to Denise Witmer (2007) there are ten things that a parent can do to prevent their adolescent from using drugs:
1. Be there for your teen when he needs to get out of a bad situation. Be the scapegoat: ‘I can’t do that, my parents would kill me!’ Or be the parent who will pick up your teen without repercussions if he finds the party he’s gone too has drugs available or her date has been drinking.
2. Get to know your teen’s friends and their parents on a first name basis. This will help you know what your teen is doing and you may make a good friend to boot!
3. Keep connected in the after school hours. If you can’t be home with your teen, call and leave notes. Have another adult supervise your teen or sign him up for an after school program. If these things aren’t possible, establish a routine for your teenager and keep him busy during this time.
4. Talk to your teen often about drugs. Use ice breakers from television shows or the radio in the car. Remember these are conversations, not lectures.
5. Get your teen involved in extra-curricular activities. Schools offer sports or clubs and community organizations offer classes and youth groups. These will help him mold his identity in a positive way and give him less time doing nothing and becoming bored. Studies have shown teens that have less time to just hang out are less likely to do drugs.
6. Ask questions when your teen makes plans to go out. Who will he be with, where is he going, what will he be doing, etc. Then check up on him. Call other parents and do this together.
7. Be a role model. If you drink, drink responsibly - and don’t ever use illegal drugs.
8. Unite your family against drugs using strong family beliefs. Establish that your family doesn’t use drugs. Not that you will shun your child should he make a mistake, but that your family believes there are other healthier ways to enjoy life and fix problems rather than escaping into a drug haze.
9. Connect with your teen by doing things together as a family. Make this a routine outing and have your teen help plan it. Eat family meals together. Studies have shown that kids who enjoy dinner together with their parents on a normal basis are less likely to become involved with drugs.
10. Drop any baggage you may be carrying. Don’t allow the mistakes you made as a teenager or young adult to influence your teen in a negative way. Tap into the mature adult you’ve become and let the past go.

For their study, Jenkins and Zunguze (1998) investigated the combined effect of peer affiliation and family structure on adolescent drug use. The drug use of adolescents from intact, single-parent, and stepparent families was compared. Furthermore, the differences in the adolescents’ susceptibility towards peer influence with regards to their use of drugs were also determined. The researchers hypothesized that adolescent 's from unconventional family structures were more liable to be influenced by their drug-using peers than their counterparts from intact families (Jenkins and Zunguze, 1998).

The results verified the hypothesis and showed that adolescents who came from unconventional family structures tended to have more drug-using friends and/or have friends who accept their drug use. However, the results of this study were limited by the fact that it did not identify the stressors related to unconventional families, which have produced these results (Jenkins, & Zunguze, 1998).

In their study, Tani, Chavez and Deffenbacher (2001) compared three different groups of adolescents in order to determine the key factors that influence adolescent drug use: Adolescents in drug-using and non-drug-using groups, along with isolated adolescents with no group affiliation.
Tani et al. (2001) hypothesized that adolescents who were affiliated with non-drug-using peers were less likely to use drugs than adolescents who associated with drug-using peers. Following this logic, isolated adolescents without peer influence would not be expected to engage in drug use at all. However, because isolated adolescents commonly experience social and emotional difficulties, they are also likely to resort to drug use to escape from their problems (Tani et al.,
2001).

The results of this study captured the complex relationship between peer influence and drug use. While adolescents in drug-using groups reported more drug use than their counterparts in the non-drug-using group, as expected, the isolated group also reported more drug use than the adolescents in the non-drug-using group. Clearly, peer influence can be a double-edged sword that can be used as a positive force, or as a negative force. Evidently, this study has shown that the absence of peer influence is also a negative factor that contributes to drug use and depression (Tani et al., 2001).

With this study, Engels and ter Bogt (2001) sought to determine whether risk behaviors such as drug use have positive effects on the relationship among adolescents. Based on the self-reported responses of teenagers aged from 12 to 18, Engels and ter Bogt (2001) found that drug use contributes to the positive development of peer relationships. Apparently, adolescents who drink alcohol and use marijuana feel more connected to their peers and rely on their support. At the same time, they are also more capable of maintaining intimate relationships with their peers than individuals who do not engage in drug use (Engels and ter Bogt, 2001).

However, the positive interpretation of the results needs to be qualified by the fact that the sample population of this study largely consisted of individuals who had not committed major transgressions under the influence of drugs. Therefore, the study might have offered an over-positive view of the effects of drug use on the quality of peer relationships (Engels & ter Bogt, 2001).

In this study, Wynn, Schulenberg, Kloska, and Laetz (1997) investigated the effectiveness of refusal skills to help adolescents deal with peer pressure in drug use. The results indicated that the training in refusal skills was primarily effective for adolescents in the seventh and eighth grades, but not in the sixth grade. Therefore, it is likely that the participants in the sixth grade had not reached the developmental level to absorb the information and apply their training (Wynn et al., 1997). These results have important implications for the creation of prevention programs because the content must be adjusted to match the developmental level of the participants.

The preceding discussion of the five research studies has demonstrated the significance of peer influence on adolescent drug use. First, adolescents are more likely to follow the norms of their peers. Many of them engage in drug use in order to “fit in” with their peers. The level of parental involvement is no longer relevant by the time their children reach the age of twelve. Nonetheless, family structure can still play a role in determining the extent of the influence of drug-using-peers. Essentially, adolescents from unconventional families are more likely to drift towards drug-using-peers than their counterparts in traditional families.

Second, the research studies have shown that peer influence plays an important role in ensuring the normal social and emotional development of all adolescents. Apparently, behaviors such as drug use can enhance the capacity of the adolescents to maintain intimate social relationships. Certainly, the absence of peer affiliation, even from drug-using-peers, does not offer substantial advantages. The research study highlighted in this study shows that the isolated adolescents also resort to drug use in order to deal with their social and emotional estrangement from their peers.

Third, this review highlights the possibility of implementing an effective prevention program that can empower adolescents to reject the undesirable influences of their peers. Through education and training, these adolescents will set the right example by making informed decisions in the face of peer pressure.

References
Engels, R.C.M.E., and ter Bogt, T. (2001, December). Influences of risk behaviors on the quality of peer relations in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30, 675-695.

Jenkins, J.E., and Zunguze, S.T.
(1998, Winter). The relationship of family structure to adolescent drug use, peer affiliation and perception of peer acceptance of drug use. Adolescence, 33, 811-812.

Olds, R.S., and Thombs, D.L. (2001, August). The relationship of adolescent perception of peer norms and parent involvement to cigarette and alcohol use. Journal of School Health, 71, 223-235.

Santrock, J.W. (2007). Adolescence, Eleventh Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Shedler, J. and Block, J. (1990, May). Adolescent Drug Use and Psychological Health. American Psychologists, 613-630.

Tani, C.R., Chavez, E.L., and Deffenbacher, J.L. (2001, Spring). Peer isolation and drug use among white non-Hispanic and Mexican American adolescents. Adolescence, 36, 127-137.
Witmer, D. (2007). Your Guide to Parenting of Adolescents: Top ten things you can do to prevent your teen from using drugs. Retrieved on November 12, 2007 from http://parentingteens.about.com/od/teendruguse/tp/drug_prevention.htm

Wynn, S.R., Schulenberg, J., Kloska, D.D., and Laetz, V.B. (1997, November). The mediating influence of refusal skills in preventing adolescent alcohol misuse. Journal of School Health, 67,
390-395.