Social learning and teenage drug use: An analysis of family dyads.

Abstract

This analysis of drug use in family dyads draws upon data from a series of nationwide studies in which interviews were conducted separately with teenagers and with older members of their families, i.e., their mothers, fathers, and older siblings. The interview schedule for these studies examines each individual's personal experience with a broad range of psychoactive substances. Thus, to the extent that behavioral similarities do occur in family dyads, "same drug links" can be compared to "cross drug links," providing a basis for differentiating evidence of direct imitation from less specific patterns of behavioral similarity. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Mental Health Problems in Adolescent Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents: Epidemiologic Research with a Nationally Representative Sample

“…Also pointing to the strong association between parental alcohol problems and the behavior of children independent of social factors is the finding by Carbonneau et al (1998) that sons of male alcohol dependent fathers were more likely than other children to manifest physical aggression and low anxiety, once socio-economic status was controlled. Some studies have addressed the issue of differences in the mental health and behavioral problems of children of alcohol dependent cases on the basis of sex of the child or the biological relationship to the parent and have arrived at inconsistent conclusions (Gabel, Stallings, Crowley, & Fulker, 1998;Hill & Muka, 1996;Lynskey, Fergusson, & Horwood, 1994;Rittenhouse & Miller, 1984;Werner, 1986). For example, using data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), Rittenhouse and Miller (1984) found an association between maternal but not paternal use of alcohol and tobacco and adolescent drug involvement, but did not study parental alcohol or drug dependence.…”

“…Some studies have addressed the issue of differences in the mental health and behavioral problems of children of alcohol dependent cases on the basis of sex of the child or the biological relationship to the parent and have arrived at inconsistent conclusions (Gabel, Stallings, Crowley, & Fulker, 1998;Hill & Muka, 1996;Lynskey, Fergusson, & Horwood, 1994;Rittenhouse & Miller, 1984;Werner, 1986). For example, using data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), Rittenhouse and Miller (1984) found an association between maternal but not paternal use of alcohol and tobacco and adolescent drug involvement, but did not study parental alcohol or drug dependence. On the contrary, Lynskey and colleagues (1994) did not find statistically significant male-female differences in the occurrence of drug use or psychopathology among children of parents with or without alcohol dependence.…”

The Role of Older Brothers in Younger Brothers' Drug Use Viewed in the Context of Parent and Peer Influences

“…The Journal of Generic Psychology ings is that peer drug use appears to have a more powerful influence than does parent drug use, although the latter also has a significant effect (Brook, Lukoff, & Whiteman, 1977;Brook, Whiteman, Gordon, & Brook, 1985;Fawzy, Coombs, & Gerber, 1983; Kandel, 1974Kandel, , 1985; Kandel et al, 1978;Rittenhouse & Miller, 1984;Tec, 1974).…”

Adolescent Shoplifting and Situational Stimuli

“…: Delinquency, in this schema, is either the result of a failure of the bond to tie the individual to the social order, or of its attenuation, enabling the individual to engage in delinquency (See: Briap and Piliavis, 1965;Matza, 1964). 8Analysis of longitudinal data shows that socialization variables, e.g., lack of parental supervision, parental rejection and parent-child involvement, are among the most powerful predictors of juvenile conduct problems, delinquency and possibly shoplifting (see e.g., Loeber, 1986;Olsen, et aI, 1983;Rittenhaus and Miller, 1984;Tims and Masland, 1985;Loeger and Stoutmaner-Loeber, 1986;Kraus, 1973;Richman, Stevens and Grahan, 1982;Fischer, et aI, 1984).…”