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Illicit Substance Use, Gender, and the Risk of Violent Behavior Among Adolescents

Illicit Substance Use, Gender, and the Risk of Violent Behavior Among Adolescents Abstract Objectives: To analyze data from a nationally representative sample of high school students to investigate the relationship between substance use and violent behavior among adolescents and to examine this relationship in both male and female adolescents. Design: Cross-sectional analyses of the 1991 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Setting: Public and private schools in the 50 states. Participants: The participants were 12 272 high school students. Main Outcome Measure: To determine the prevalence of weapon carrying and physical fighting among male and female adolescents. Results: A significant increase in the number of male and female adolescents carrying weapons and physically fighting was associated with all forms of substance use. Reports of carrying a weapon increased with recent alcohol consumption (34% vs 17%, P<.001) and use of marijuana (48% vs 22%, P<.001), cocaine (71% vs 25%, P<.001), and anabolic steroids (62% vs 25%, P<.001). The prevalence of physical fighting was also significantly higher among adolescents who used illicit substances than among adolescents who denied drug use. The risk of violent behavior increased significantly, and was of equal magnitude, for adolescent females and males who were illicit substance users. Conclusions: Alcohol and illicit substance use are highly associated with an increased risk of violent behavior. These data also demonstrate that the risk of violence by adolescent females who are substance users is substantial.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:797-801 References 1. Fingerhut LA, Ingram DD, Feldman JJ. Firearm and nonfirearm homicide among persons 15 through 19 years of age: differences by level of urbanization, United States, 1979 through 1989 . JAMA . 1992;267:3048-3053.Crossref 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Violence-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students: New York City, 1992 . MMWR CDC Surveill Summ . 1993;42:773-777. 3. Wilson MD, Joffe A. Adolescent medicine . JAMA . 1995;273:1657-1660.Crossref 4. Jenkins EJ, Bell CC. Adolescent violence: can it be curbed? Adolesc Med: State Art Rev . 1992;3:71-86. 5. Widom CS. Does violence beget violence?: a critical examination of the literature . Psychol Bull . 1989;106:3-28.Crossref 6. Fingerhut LA, Ingram DD, Feldman JJ. Firearm homicide among black teenage males in metropolitan counties . JAMA . 1992;267:3054-3058.Crossref 7. Sloan JH. Handgun regulations, crime, assaults, and homicide: a tale of two cities . N Engl J Med . 1988;319:1256-1262.Crossref 8. Schubiner H, Scott R, Tzelepis A. Exposure to violence among inner-city youth . J Adolesc Health . 1993;14:214-219.Crossref 9. Weil DS, Hemenway D. Loaded guns in the home . JAMA . 1992;267:3033-3037.Crossref 10. Webster DW, Gainer PS, Champion HR. Weapon carrying among inner-city junior high school students: defensive behavior vs aggressive delinquency . Am J Public Health . 1993;83:1604-1608.Crossref 11. Mercy JA, Rosenberg ML, Powell KE, Broome CV, Roper WL. Public health policy for preventing violence . Health Aff . 1993;12:7-29.Crossref 12. Earls FJ. Violence and today's youth . Future Child . 1994;4:4-23.Crossref 13. Callahan CM, Rivara FP. Urban high school youth and handguns . JAMA . 1992; 267:3038-3042.Crossref 14. Cotten NU, Resnick J, Browne DC, Martin SL, McCarraher DR, Woods J. Aggression and fighting behavior among African-American adolescents: individual and family factors . Am J Public Health . 1994;84:618-622.Crossref 15. Newcomb MD, Maddahian E, Bentler PM. Risk factors for drug use among adolescents: concurrent and longitudinal analyses . Am J Public Health . 1986; 76:525-531.Crossref 16. Friedman IM. Alcohol and unnatural deaths in San Francisco youths . Pediatrics . 1985;76:191-193. 17. Marzuk PM, Tardiff K, Leon AC, et al. Fatal injuries after cocaine use as a leading cause of death among young adults in New York City . N Engl J Med . 1995; 332:1753-1757.Crossref 18. Eckardt MJ, Harford TC, Kaelber CT, et al. Health hazards associated with alcohol consumption . JAMA . 1981;246:648-649.Crossref 19. Scribner RA, MacKinnon DP, Dwyer JH. The risk of assaultive violence and alcohol availability in Los Angeles county . Am J Public Health . 1995;85:335-340.Crossref 20. Bass LE, Kane-Williams E. Stereotype or reality: another look at alcohol and drug use among African-American children . Public Health Rep . 1993;108 ( (suppl 1) ):78-84. 21. Middleman AB, Faulkner MA, Woods ER, Emans SJ, DuRant RH. High-risk behaviors among high school students in Massachusetts who use anabolic steroids . Pediatrics . 1995;96:268-272. 22. Fingerhut LA, Kleinmen JC. International and interstate comparisons of homicide among young males . JAMA . 1990;263:3292-3295.Crossref 23. Rosenberg ML, Mercy JA. Homicide: epidemiologic analysis at the national level . Bull N Y Acad Med . 1986;62:376-398. 24. Jessor R. Risk behavior in adolescence: a psychosocial framework for understanding and action . J Adolesc Health . 1991;12:587-605.Crossref 25. Brener ND, Collins JL, Kann L, Warren CW, Williams BI. Reliability of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire . Am J Epidemiol . 1995;141:575-580. 26. Fleiss JL. Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions . 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1981:22. 27. Shah BV, Barnwell BG, Hunt PN, LaVange LM. SUDAAN Reference Manual, Release 6.40. Research Triangle Park , NC: Research Triangle Institute; 1995; 6:1-37. 28. Dean AG, Dean JA, Coulombier D, et al. Epi Info, Version 6: A Word Processing, Database, Statistical Program for Epidemiology on Microcomputers . Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1994:185-190. 29. Uzych L. Anabolic-androgenic steroids and psychiatric-related effects: a review . Can J Psychiatry . 1992;37:23-28. 30. DuRant RH, Escobedo LG, Heath GW. Anabolic-steroid use, strength training, and multiple drug use among adolescents in the United States . Pediatrics . 1995; 96:23-28. 31. Stanton B, Galbraith J. Drug trafficking among African-American early adolescents: prevalence, consequences, and associated behaviors and beliefs . Pediatrics . 1994;93:1039-1043. 32. Li X, Feigelman S. Recent and intended drug trafficking among male and female urban African-American early adolescents . Pediatrics . 1994;93:1044-1049. 33. Brooks-Gunn J, Guo G, Furstenberg FF. Who drops out of and who continues beyond high school? a 20-year follow-up of black urban youth . J Res Adolescence . 1993;3( (3) ):271-294.Crossref 34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health risk behaviors among adolescents who do and do not attend school-United States, 1992 . MMWR CDC Surveill Summ . 1994;43:129-132. 35. Rosenberg ML, O'Carroll PW, Powell KE. Let's be clear: violence is a public health problem . JAMA . 1992;267:3071-3072.Crossref 36. Christoffel KK. Reducing violence—how do we proceed? Am J Public Health . 1994;84:539-541.Crossref 37. Koop CE, Lundberg GD. Violence in America: a public health emergency . JAMA . 1992;267:3075-3076.Crossref 38. Yung BR. Hammond WR. The positive case for school-based violence prevention programs . Health Aff . 1994;13:170-173.Crossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine American Medical Association

Illicit Substance Use, Gender, and the Risk of Violent Behavior Among Adolescents

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References (45)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
1072-4710
eISSN
1538-3628
DOI
10.1001/archpedi.1996.02170330023004
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: To analyze data from a nationally representative sample of high school students to investigate the relationship between substance use and violent behavior among adolescents and to examine this relationship in both male and female adolescents. Design: Cross-sectional analyses of the 1991 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Setting: Public and private schools in the 50 states. Participants: The participants were 12 272 high school students. Main Outcome Measure: To determine the prevalence of weapon carrying and physical fighting among male and female adolescents. Results: A significant increase in the number of male and female adolescents carrying weapons and physically fighting was associated with all forms of substance use. Reports of carrying a weapon increased with recent alcohol consumption (34% vs 17%, P<.001) and use of marijuana (48% vs 22%, P<.001), cocaine (71% vs 25%, P<.001), and anabolic steroids (62% vs 25%, P<.001). The prevalence of physical fighting was also significantly higher among adolescents who used illicit substances than among adolescents who denied drug use. The risk of violent behavior increased significantly, and was of equal magnitude, for adolescent females and males who were illicit substance users. Conclusions: Alcohol and illicit substance use are highly associated with an increased risk of violent behavior. These data also demonstrate that the risk of violence by adolescent females who are substance users is substantial.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:797-801 References 1. Fingerhut LA, Ingram DD, Feldman JJ. Firearm and nonfirearm homicide among persons 15 through 19 years of age: differences by level of urbanization, United States, 1979 through 1989 . JAMA . 1992;267:3048-3053.Crossref 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Violence-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students: New York City, 1992 . MMWR CDC Surveill Summ . 1993;42:773-777. 3. Wilson MD, Joffe A. Adolescent medicine . JAMA . 1995;273:1657-1660.Crossref 4. Jenkins EJ, Bell CC. Adolescent violence: can it be curbed? Adolesc Med: State Art Rev . 1992;3:71-86. 5. Widom CS. Does violence beget violence?: a critical examination of the literature . Psychol Bull . 1989;106:3-28.Crossref 6. Fingerhut LA, Ingram DD, Feldman JJ. Firearm homicide among black teenage males in metropolitan counties . JAMA . 1992;267:3054-3058.Crossref 7. Sloan JH. Handgun regulations, crime, assaults, and homicide: a tale of two cities . N Engl J Med . 1988;319:1256-1262.Crossref 8. Schubiner H, Scott R, Tzelepis A. Exposure to violence among inner-city youth . J Adolesc Health . 1993;14:214-219.Crossref 9. Weil DS, Hemenway D. Loaded guns in the home . JAMA . 1992;267:3033-3037.Crossref 10. Webster DW, Gainer PS, Champion HR. Weapon carrying among inner-city junior high school students: defensive behavior vs aggressive delinquency . Am J Public Health . 1993;83:1604-1608.Crossref 11. Mercy JA, Rosenberg ML, Powell KE, Broome CV, Roper WL. Public health policy for preventing violence . Health Aff . 1993;12:7-29.Crossref 12. Earls FJ. Violence and today's youth . Future Child . 1994;4:4-23.Crossref 13. Callahan CM, Rivara FP. Urban high school youth and handguns . JAMA . 1992; 267:3038-3042.Crossref 14. Cotten NU, Resnick J, Browne DC, Martin SL, McCarraher DR, Woods J. Aggression and fighting behavior among African-American adolescents: individual and family factors . Am J Public Health . 1994;84:618-622.Crossref 15. Newcomb MD, Maddahian E, Bentler PM. Risk factors for drug use among adolescents: concurrent and longitudinal analyses . Am J Public Health . 1986; 76:525-531.Crossref 16. Friedman IM. Alcohol and unnatural deaths in San Francisco youths . Pediatrics . 1985;76:191-193. 17. Marzuk PM, Tardiff K, Leon AC, et al. Fatal injuries after cocaine use as a leading cause of death among young adults in New York City . N Engl J Med . 1995; 332:1753-1757.Crossref 18. Eckardt MJ, Harford TC, Kaelber CT, et al. Health hazards associated with alcohol consumption . JAMA . 1981;246:648-649.Crossref 19. Scribner RA, MacKinnon DP, Dwyer JH. The risk of assaultive violence and alcohol availability in Los Angeles county . Am J Public Health . 1995;85:335-340.Crossref 20. Bass LE, Kane-Williams E. Stereotype or reality: another look at alcohol and drug use among African-American children . Public Health Rep . 1993;108 ( (suppl 1) ):78-84. 21. Middleman AB, Faulkner MA, Woods ER, Emans SJ, DuRant RH. High-risk behaviors among high school students in Massachusetts who use anabolic steroids . Pediatrics . 1995;96:268-272. 22. Fingerhut LA, Kleinmen JC. International and interstate comparisons of homicide among young males . JAMA . 1990;263:3292-3295.Crossref 23. Rosenberg ML, Mercy JA. Homicide: epidemiologic analysis at the national level . Bull N Y Acad Med . 1986;62:376-398. 24. Jessor R. Risk behavior in adolescence: a psychosocial framework for understanding and action . J Adolesc Health . 1991;12:587-605.Crossref 25. Brener ND, Collins JL, Kann L, Warren CW, Williams BI. Reliability of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire . Am J Epidemiol . 1995;141:575-580. 26. Fleiss JL. Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions . 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1981:22. 27. Shah BV, Barnwell BG, Hunt PN, LaVange LM. SUDAAN Reference Manual, Release 6.40. Research Triangle Park , NC: Research Triangle Institute; 1995; 6:1-37. 28. Dean AG, Dean JA, Coulombier D, et al. Epi Info, Version 6: A Word Processing, Database, Statistical Program for Epidemiology on Microcomputers . Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1994:185-190. 29. Uzych L. Anabolic-androgenic steroids and psychiatric-related effects: a review . Can J Psychiatry . 1992;37:23-28. 30. DuRant RH, Escobedo LG, Heath GW. Anabolic-steroid use, strength training, and multiple drug use among adolescents in the United States . Pediatrics . 1995; 96:23-28. 31. Stanton B, Galbraith J. Drug trafficking among African-American early adolescents: prevalence, consequences, and associated behaviors and beliefs . Pediatrics . 1994;93:1039-1043. 32. Li X, Feigelman S. Recent and intended drug trafficking among male and female urban African-American early adolescents . Pediatrics . 1994;93:1044-1049. 33. Brooks-Gunn J, Guo G, Furstenberg FF. Who drops out of and who continues beyond high school? a 20-year follow-up of black urban youth . J Res Adolescence . 1993;3( (3) ):271-294.Crossref 34. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health risk behaviors among adolescents who do and do not attend school-United States, 1992 . MMWR CDC Surveill Summ . 1994;43:129-132. 35. Rosenberg ML, O'Carroll PW, Powell KE. Let's be clear: violence is a public health problem . JAMA . 1992;267:3071-3072.Crossref 36. Christoffel KK. Reducing violence—how do we proceed? Am J Public Health . 1994;84:539-541.Crossref 37. Koop CE, Lundberg GD. Violence in America: a public health emergency . JAMA . 1992;267:3075-3076.Crossref 38. Yung BR. Hammond WR. The positive case for school-based violence prevention programs . Health Aff . 1994;13:170-173.Crossref

Journal

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent MedicineAmerican Medical Association

Published: Aug 1, 1996

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