Introduction Drug use among high school students is not something that has just come about with the legalization of marijuana or with the endless legal supply of amphetamines prescribed to anyone who claims to be unable to focus. Although drug use has become somewhat normalized in our society- whether it is one experimental usage, recreational drug usage, or habitually smoking marijuana- it does not mean that the risk of normal drug usage can quickly slip into substance abuse or even addiction. Anyone who chooses to use drugs is putting themselves in some sort of risk, including overdose and death, is there some gene or trait that may cause certain people to be more likely to abuse or become addicted to drugs than others? This paper seeks to explore the correlation between levels of self-esteem in high school females and drug usage. More specifically, it seeks to learn what the majority of a specific high school’s students consider to be normal drug usage as the control variable. After obtaining the control variable, females from each grade level of that same high school shall be issued a set of two surveys- one used to measure self-esteem level and one regarding drug usage which is identical to the one used to establish the control. These surveys will be pre-marked with matching identification numbers so that they will be traceable to one another while still maintaining the subject’s anonymity. Literature Review Drug Use in Young Men and Women ages 12-19 Drug use among adolescents and young adults has become quite widespread during the past 25 years, with many characterizing the increases as of epidemic proportions. There has been endless research devoted to understanding why drug use often starts during the teenage years... ... middle of paper ... ...., & Gordon-Larsen, PhD, P. (2010). Perception of Overweight and Self-Esteem During Adolesence. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 447-54. Semple, PhD, S. J., Grant, MD, I., & Patterson, PhD, T. L. (2004). Female Methamphetamine Users: Social Characteristics and Sexual Risk Behavior. Women & Health, 35-50. Stewart, S. H., Conrad, P. J., Pihl, R. O., & Dongier, M. (1999). Relations between Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Dimensipons and Substance Dependence in a Community-Recruited Sample of Substance Abusing Women. 13(2), 78-88. Venturelli, P. J. (2000). Drugs in Schools: Myths vs. Realities. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 567, 72-87. Willis, T. A. (1994). Self-Esteem and Perceived Control in Adolescent Substance Use: Comparative Tests in Concurrent and Prospective Analyses. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 8(4), 223-34.
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
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“The behavior, drug abuse prevention experts say, is notably different from the use of drugs like marijuana or cocaine…The goal for many young adults is not to get high but to feel better - less depressed, less stressed out, more focused, better rested. It is just that the easiest route to that end often seems to be medication for which they do not have a prescription” (Harmon 2005, p.1) According to the Partners...
Simons-Morton, B.. (2007). Social Influences on Adolescent Substance Use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31(6), 672-84. Retrieved May 5, 2011, from ProQuest Psychology Journals. (Document ID: 1390074281).
Poor peer relationship can be seen as both cause and consequence of teen substance abuse. To develop in a negative and unhealthy environment can lead a person to make poor decisions, and to make poor decisions can lead a person to build a relationship with other individuals who share their same detrimental practices and who do not provide a positive peer support. To make a poor decision can lead the youth to get involve in deviant behavior due to being under the influence affect the person 's judgment and increases the chances of getting involved in delinquent
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
...olescences to abuse drugs depending on the influencing stimuli. We must educate the adolescences on respectable behavior and consequences to drug seeking behaviors and addiction.
High school students are leaders to younger kids and many others in their community. As a leader these student must show others what good character is like, but instead they are destroying their lives by doing drugs. In the past decade the drug use among high school students is on the rise once again. With the internet, their exposure to drugs is much greater. High school students are convinced that they are able to get away with using drugs. These drug addicts soon influence other students into doing the drugs because there isn’t a rule preventing drug use. In order to protect these student’s future, drug tests must be enforced among all students ensuring a safe environment for students to learn successfully. Allowing random drug testing in high schools will shy away students from trying these harmful drugs. The stop of drug use among high school students is crucial because drugs prevents student from learning leading them to dropping out of high school. Students that become overwhelmed by these harmful drugs will ruin their lives forever, but if steered in the right direction they can be saved.
Before being capable of fighting the use of drugs and alchol, one must come to an understanding of why some people use drugs. The decision to ultimately use drugs is influenced mainly in childhood. Whether in a poor ?ghetto? neighborhood, or in a middle-class suburb, all children are vulnerable to the abuse of drugs. Most high-risk children are effected by personal and family circumstances (Falco 51). If a child?s parents are substance abusers, then it is a fairly safe prediction that the child will abuse drugs later in life. Also, early-life experiments with drugs greatly increases the chance of abuse later in life. Academic problems, and rebellious, anti-social behavior in elementary school are also linked to drug problems, in addition to truancy, delinquency, and ear...
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
The first step when beginning to implement drug education in a classroom or school is for the individual that is considering the topic to deem why the implementation is important. There are three main reasons teachers have found the implementation to be important. The first reason is that students are more likely to come in contact with drugs by hearing about them, or using them. By having a program implemented into a classroom or school, it can assist individuals to gain knowledge about the topic. The purpose of this is to help individuals make healthy, responsible decisions about drugs now and in the future that will reflect the individual’s identity and morals. The second reason is to help promote a healthy lifestyle for students. Teachers believe that by engaging students in drug education programs, it can help to benefit well-being of the students so that healthy lifestyles are reached to the fullest potentials. Lastly, teachers have found it to be important because teachers can act as a partner with parents, guardians, and other members of the community, in order to ensure that students are being provided with accurate and developmentally appropriate drug education. The school can provide knowledge to students in an area that is sometimes difficult for parents, guardians, and the community to talk about.
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.