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Introduction to teenagers and drug abuse
Drug abuse among teenagers essay
An essay on drug abuse among teenagers
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Introduction When asked what makes someone a true friend, many people will respond by stating that a true friend is someone who listens, who can be trusted with deep and dark secrets, and of course someone who you can both be serious with and have plenty of fun with. Friends represent a group of people that relate to each other in one way or another; for example, sharing common interests, or coming from similar cultural backgrounds. Research has shown that during adolescence and emerging adulthood, the emotional center of the lives of young people shifts from their immediate families to people who are not a part of their family; namely, friends. Parental influence still remains prominent, but in most households, it takes a backseat as independence …show more content…
After decades of prevention campaigns and research, alcohol and drug use among adolescents still remains a problem today. There has been a myriad of research done on adolescent alcohol and other drug use regarding a plethora of theoretical standpoints that consistently shows that having friends who use alcohol or other drugs is an important factor in whether or not teens will use and to what extent. Friend influence is an important factor to consider when looking at adolescent alcohol and drug use, and can be studied in depth when broken down into relationship quality, adolescent’s substance use, and friend’s substance use to examine the effect of friend influence on adolescent substance …show more content…
M., & Dwyer, D. S. (2010). Social network effects in alcohol consumption among adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 35(4), 337–342.
Ramirez, R., Hinman, A., Sterling, S., Weisner, C., & Campbell, C. (2012). Peer Influences on Adolescent Alcohol and Other Drug Use Outcomes. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 44(1), 36-44 9p. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01437.x
Branstetter, S. A., Low, S., & Furman, W. (2011). The influence of parents and friends on adolescent substance use: A multidimensional approach. Journal of Substance Use, 16(2), 150–160.
FALCK, R. S., NAHHAS, R. W., L. I., L., & CARLSON, P. G. (2012). Surveying Teens in School to Assess the Prevalence of Problematic Drug Use. Journal Of School Health, 82(5), 217-224.
Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2012). Monitoring the future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings, 2011. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan.
M. Kremer, V. Levy. (2008). Peer effects and alcohol use among college students. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 22 (3) (2008), pp.
According to the Monitoring the Future study (previously called the High School Senior Survey), in 1996, 50.8 percent of high school seniors reported having used illicit drugs (1996). The study also found that male juveniles arrested for drug offenses had the highest rate of positive drug tests when compared to youth arrested for other types of crimes. Substance abuse and delinquency often share the common factors of school and family problems, negative peer groups, lack of neighborhood social controls, and a history of physical or sexual abuse (Hawkins et al., 1987). Substance abuse is also associated with crimes of violence and income-generating crimes such as robberies in youth. Other social and criminal justice problems often linked to substance abuse in juveniles is drug trafficking, youth homicides, gangs, and
One common consequence of drunk driving is peer influences. People have hard relationships between alcohol consumption and risk of experiencing social consequences. In addition at a young age or believing that alcohol use is not harmful, peer influence, family experience, school factors, alcohol being a peer interaction, and disapprover of alcohol use or do not drink. Peer influences can be a problem with drunk driving because having friends who use alcohol or who believe that alcohol is use acceptable. “High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school” (Hingson). Family experience can also be a problem with drunk driving because heavy alcohol use by parents, sibling, or any parental supervision can be cause of the start of drinking. Peer friendships are viral due to the lack of peer influences. “Teens who drink alcohol teen to have opposite sex friends who do the same thing” (Join Together Staff). Peer drinking is more than an influence. It could come from their own parents who start drinking. If kids see parents or friends drinking they will think it is okay to drink. When kids were little they looked up to their parents and thought everything was okay to do. When a little kids saw an adult drinking they thought it was okay to do while growing up.
In America there is are an estimated 12.8 million Americans who use drugs. Out of the 12.8 million 6 percent of the population are kids ranging from 12 years of age and older. This number shows the number for people who have used drugs in the last 30 days. Th...
... norms and perceived social benefits of drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 69, 397 – 405
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
So why the hike in usage over such a short span of time? A few tentative conclusions have surfaced in response to the rapidly growing numbers. Research has shown that the absence of a parental figure within the household has proven to be an effective catalyst in spurring youth to participate in what would otherwise be considered reckless behavior. An additional explanation for the use of alcohol by an underage demographic can be the self-justification, created by youth, based on parental observation. If an adolescent actively participates in the consumption of alcohol, in an attempt to emulate the actions of their parents, then psychologically, that action would warrant that much more credibility.
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
"The CBHSQ Report: A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts Update." The CBHSQ Report: A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts Update. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2K13/CBHSQ128/sr128-typical-day-adolescents-2013.htm
Spear, LInda. "Alcohol’s Effects on Adolescents." National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. us.gov, n.d. June 2003. Web. 16 Feb 2014.
On a conscious level, we rarely spend much time actually thinking about and classifying our friends. However, since I was a small child, my mother taught me to recognize and appreciate various types of friends. I have discovered that there are three different types of friends. I group them according to how well I know them and how well they know me. We encounter each type of friend everyday, whether in school, home, or at the gym. First, there are the "pest friends"- general acquaintances. Next, there are "guest friends"- social partners. Lastly, we have "best friends"- our true friends.
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
There are a myriad of cultural and societal risk factors that contribute adolescent alcohol and drug use. A risk factor is defined as “any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury”. These risk factors can be identified through family history of substance use disorder, sense of inferiority, pleasure seeking, low self-esteem, unemployment, poor social support, desire to experiment and poor social support (Thomas, N. L., Naregal, P. M., Mohite, V. R., Tata, S. H., Karale, R. B., & Kakade, S. V. (2015).) Risk of drug abuse increases greatly during times of transition, such as changing schools, moving, or divorce. Additional peer risk factors include gang involvement or the reinforcement of negative norms and expectations within peer group, the lack of academic...
Friendship is a relationship that all the individuals can create by themselves. Though it is not a god gifted relationship like that of the relationship of a mother, father, sister, brother or any of the other family but still it is one of the best relations an individual can possess. People who have true friends consider themselves as the luckiest individuals on earth.
...> Groh R.David, Jason A. Leonard, Davis I. Margret, Olson D. Bradley, Ferrari R. Joseph. 2007. Friends, Family and Alcohol Abuse: An Examination of General and Alcohol Specific Social Support. The American Journal on Addictions, 16: 49-55