The effects of exposure to violence and victimization across life domains on adolescent substance use

Abstract

Objective This study uses longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) to examine the effects of exposure to school violence, community violence, child abuse, and parental intimate partner violence (IPV) on youths’ subsequent alcohol and marijuana use. We also examine the cumulative effects of being exposed to violence across these domains. Methods Longitudinal data were obtained from 1,655 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the PHDCN. The effects of adolescents’ exposure to various forms of violence across different life domains were examined relative to adolescents’ frequency of alcohol and marijuana use three years later. Multivariate statistical models were employed to control for a range of child, parent, and family risk factors. Results Exposure to violence in a one-year period increased the frequency of substance use three years later, though the specific relationships between victimization and use varied for alcohol and marijuana use. Community violence and child abuse, but not school violence or exposure to IPV, were predictive of future marijuana use. None of the independent measures of exposure to violence significantly predicted future alcohol use. Finally, the accumulation of exposure to violence across life domains was detrimental to both future alcohol and marijuana use. Conclusion The findings support prior research indicating that exposure to multiple forms of violence, across multiple domains of life, negatively impacts adolescent outcomes, including substance use. The findings also suggest that the context in which exposure to violence occurs should be considered in future research, since the more domains in which youth are exposed to violence, the fewer “safe havens” they have available. Finally, a better understanding of the types of violence youth encounter and the contexts in which these experiences occur can help inform intervention efforts aimed at reducing victimization and its negative consequences.

Experiences of victimization among adolescents with Substance Abuse Disorders in Sweden

“…Several studies have shown that the exposure of children and adolescents to violence or experiences of victimization has a significant correlation with drug abuse later in life (6,20). This group commonly initiates substance use earlier, uses multiple substances more frequently and at a higher rate (18,19), and develops substance-abuse-related problems more often (19).…”

“…Experiences of both direct and indirect victimization have been shown to influence later drug abuse among adolescents (22)(23)(24), although psychological abuse has a somewhat lower correlation with drug abuse as compared with physical and sexual abuse (1). The cumulative effect of poly-victimization is also related to more severe drug abuse (6,7,23), and adolescents who have been exposed to both physical and sexual abuse are at particularly high risk for drug abuse (1,7). Adolescents who witnessed community violence also exhibit higher rates of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use later in life (6,24).…”

“…The cumulative effect of poly-victimization is also related to more severe drug abuse (6,7,23), and adolescents who have been exposed to both physical and sexual abuse are at particularly high risk for drug abuse (1,7). Adolescents who witnessed community violence also exhibit higher rates of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use later in life (6,24).…”

“…An American study of 1655 adolescents found that 8% to 45% of those surveyed had been exposed to some form of violence during the past year (i.e., school violence, community violence, child abuse, or parental intimate partner violence) and that 5% to 30% had experienced two to three different types of violence, primarily exposure to violence outside of the home (6). Another American study of a large national sample estimated that one third of adolescents reported exposure to multiple types of victimization (7).…”

“…The term is usually linked to individuals' experiences of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and serious neglect during childhood (14), but exposure to family violence or community violence is sometimes included in the definition (6 A distinction is commonly made between the concepts of direct victimization and indirect victimization. This concerns the idea of whether someone has been the target of direct violence versus whether he or she has witnessed violence between or involving people close to him or her.…”