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ADOLESCENT DRUG USE.
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Discusses peer influence as a key factor in drug use.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses peer influence as a key factor in drug use. Analyzes five research studies that examine the relationahip. Peer influence vs. parental involvement. Effects of peer affiliation and family structure. Risk behaviors and peer relationships. Peer pressure, influence of drug-using peers. Refusal skills. Adolescent alcohol use. Social and emotional development factors.

Paper Introduction:
Introduction A. Purpose 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, p. 811; Wynn, Schulenberg, Kloska, & Laetz, 1997, p. 390). 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, p. 811). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyze research articles that examine the relationship between peer influence and drug use among adolescents. B. Organization

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At the same time, theyare also more capable of maintaining intimate relationships with theirpeers than individuals who do not engage in drug use (p. Peer affiliation, family structure and their effects on adolescent druguse For their study, Jenkins and Zunguze (1998) investigated the combinedeffect of peer affiliation and family structure on adolescent drug use. Although Olds and Thombs (2 1) asserted that the results did notundermine the significance of parental involvement in adolescent drug use,they contradicted themselves by stating that parents play a more importantrole in influencing their children before seventh grade (p. 232).B. Organization Each of the five research studies that analyze the relationshipbetween drug use among adolescents and peer influence will be discussedseparately. Finally, this paper highlights the possibility of implementing aneffective prevention program that can empower adolescents to reject theundesirable influences of their peers. However, the resultsof this study were limited by the fact that it did not identify thestressors related to unconventional families, which have produced theseresults (Jenkins, & Zunguze, 1998, p. Thus, the purpose of this paper isto analyze research articles that examine the relationship between peerinfluence and drug use among adolescents.B. 132).D. The studyindicated that most students, regardless of the grade level, engaged incigarette and alcohol use in order to imitate their close friends and "fitin" with the typical student population (Olds & Thombs, 2 1, p. The relationship of adolescent perception of peer norms and parent involvement to cigarette and alcohol use. Journal of School Health, 67(9), 39 -395. Peer isolation and drug use among white non-Hispanic and Mexican American adolescents. Purpose The prevalence of drug use among adolescents is a disturbingphenomenon that has been investigated for decades. Therefore, the discussions of these results are liable tooversimplify the sophistication and complexity of the research studies. (1997, November). Because ofdifferences in their emphases and social contexts, the research studieswill be examined individually:A. 224). Evidently, this study has shown that the absence of peer influenceis also a negative factor that contributes to drug use and depression (Taniet al., 2 1, p. Thehypothesis of this study is that young teenagers who engage in cigaretteand alcohol use are more likely to be affected by insufficient parentalinvolvement. Based on the self-reported responses ofteenagers aged from 12 to 18, Engels and ter Bogt (2 1) found that druguse contributes to the positive development of peer relationships.Apparently, adolescents who drink alcohol and use marijuana feel moreconnected to their peers and rely on their support. The mediating influence of refusal skills in preventing adolescent alcohol misuse. Following this logic, isolatedadolescents without peer influence would not be expected to engage in druguse at all. The relationship of family structure to adolescent drug use, peer affiliation and perception of peer acceptance of drug use. The results of this study captured the complex relationship betweenpeer influence and drug use. 123-4). However, because isolated adolescents commonly experiencesocial and emotional difficulties, they are also likely to resort to druguse to escape from their problems (pp. Through education and training,these adolescents will set the right example by making informed decisionsin the face of peer pressure. The results verified the hypothesis and showed that adolescents whocame from unconventional family structures tended to have more drug-usingfriends and/or have friends who accept their drug use. In contrast, older teenagers are more likely to be influencedby their peers in their decision to use cigarettes and alcohol (p. These results have important implicationsfor the creation of prevention programs because the content must beadjusted to match the developmental level of the participants.Conclusions The preceding discussion of the five research studies hasdemonstrated the significance of peer influence on adolescent drug use.First, adolescents are more likely to follow the norms of their peers. Apparently, behaviors such as drug use can enhance thecapacity of the adolescents to maintain intimate social relationships.Certainly, the absence of peer affiliation, even from drug-using-peers,does not offer substantial advantages. (2 1, August). (2 1, December). 811). Manyof them engage in drug use in order to "fit in" with their peers. Peer affiliation and drug use among adolescents In their study, Tani, Chavez and Deffenbacher (2 1) compared threedifferent groups of adolescents in order to determine the key factors thatinfluence adolescent drug use: Adolescents in drug-using and non-drug-usinggroups, along with isolated adolescents with no group affiliation. Risk behaviors and peer relationships With this study, Engels and ter Bogt (2 1) sought to determinewhether risk behaviors such as drug use have positive effects on therelationship among adolescents. Clearly, peer influence can be adouble-edged sword that can be used as a positive force, or as a negativeforce. 39 ). Many of the researchstudies obtain their results based on self-reports. 394). Furthermore, the differences in the adolescents'susceptibility towards peer influence with regards to their use of drugswere also determined. Second, the research studies have shown that peer influence plays animportant role in ensuring the normal social and emotional development ofall adolescents. ReferencesEngels, R.C.M.E., & ter Bogt, T. Tani andothers (2 1) hypothesized that adolescents who were affiliated with non-drug-using peers were less likely to use drugs than adolescents whoassociated with drug-using peers. When adolescents abusedrugs, their lives can be adversely affected (Jenkins & Zunguze, 1998, p.811; Wynn, Schulenberg, Kloska, & Laetz, 1997, p. IntroductionA. Thedrug use of adolescents from intact, single-parent, and stepparent familieswas compared. 684).E. 684). 811). Therefore, the subjects of the studies cannot beconsidered to be representative of the nation's population.Discussion The relationship between peer influence and drug use is assessed byanalyzing the role of peers in each of these research studies. Therefore, it is likely that the participants in the sixthgrade had not reached the developmental level to absorb the information andapply their training (p. Nonetheless, family structure can still play arole in determining the extent of the influence of drug-using-peers.Essentially, adolescents from unconventional families are more likely todrift towards drug-using-peers than their counterparts in traditionalfamilies. The research study highlighted inthis study shows that the isolated adolescents also resort to drug use inorder to deal with their social and emotional estrangement from theirpeers. 23 ). However, the positive interpretation of the results needs to bequalified by the fact that the sample population of this study largelyconsisted of individuals who had not committed major transgressions underthe influence of drugs. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 3 (6), 675-695.Jenkins, J.E., & Zunguze, S.T. (1998, Winter). Peer pressure, refusal skills and adolescent alcohol use In this study, Wynn and others (1997) investigated the effectivenessof refusal skills to help adolescents deal with peer pressure in drug use.The results indicated that the training in refusal skills was primarilyeffective for adolescents in the seventh and eighth grades, but not in thesixth grade. While adolescents in drug-using groupsreported more drug use than their counterparts in the non-drug-using group,as expected, the isolated group also reported more drug use than theadolescents in the non-drug-using group. The review and evaluation of each research study will cover thehypotheses, the results and limitations of the study.C. Adolescence, 36(141), 127-137.Wynn, S.R., Schulenberg, J., Kloska, D.D., & Laetz, V.B. The researchers hypothesized that adolescents fromunconventional family structures were more liable to be influenced by theirdrug-using peers than their counterparts from intact families (p. Limitations One of the primary limitations of this paper is the lack of space.Therefore, this paper can only highlight key results of the individualresearch studies without delving into the statistical approaches anddetailed figures. Journal of School Health, 71(6), 223-235.Tani, C.R., Chavez, E.L., & Deffenbacher, J.L. The levelof parental involvement is no longer relevant by the time their childrenreach the age of twelve. Therefore, the study might have offered an over-positive view of the effects of drug use on the quality of peerrelationships (Engels & ter Bogt, 2 1, p. Adolescence, 33(132), 811-812.Olds, R.S., & Thombs, D.L. 812).C. By using questionnaires, Olds and Thombs (2 1) obtained responsesabout the cigarette and alcohol use of the teen participants. In addition, the analysis of this paper is also constrained by thelimitations of the research studies themselves. Influences of risk behaviors on the quality of peer relations in adolescence. (2 1, Spring). Self-reports are notthe most dependable source of information because participants may responddishonestly in order to provide satisfactory answers to the researchers.Furthermore, many of the studies picked subjects from school districts in aparticular area. Peer influence versus parental involvement and effects on adolescentdrug use In their study, Olds and Thombs (2 1) compared the significance ofpeer behavior and parental involvement with regards to their effects oncigarette and alcohol use among adolescents from grades seven to 12. In an effort touncover the underlying causes of this phenomenon, researchers havehighlighted peer influence as one of the key factors in determining druguse (Jenkins & Zunguze, 1998, p.

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