ALIENATION, DELINQUENCY AND PATTERNS OF DRUG USE

• NCJ Number: 65260
• Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY Volume: 24 Dated: (1978) Pages: 125-137
• Author(s): R A STEFFENHAGEN; J M POLICH; S LASH
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Avenue Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

A STUDY OF PATTERNS OF DRUG USE AMONG A SAMPLE OF VERMONT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS DISCUSSED; RATES OF DRUS USE AND FACTORS CORRELATED WITH USE ARE IDENTIFIED.

Abstract

ACCORDING TO ONE WIDELY ACCEPTED VIEW, THE RATE OF DRUG USE IS A FUNCTION OF THE STRENGTH OF APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL PROVIDED BY THE GENERAL CULTURAL NORMS OF SOCIETY. ANOTHER ACCEPTED EXPLANATION INTERPRETS THE USE OF ILLICIT DRUGS AS AN EXPRESSION OF ALIENATION. IF ATTITUDES OF ALIENATION ARE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DRUG USE, THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE EFFECTS ON OTHER FORMS OF ACTUAL BEHAVIOR. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADMINISTERED TO A SAMPLE OF 458 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN 1973 IN ORDER TO EXPLORE THIS POSSIBILITY. FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF DRUGS WERE CONSIDERED INCLUDING ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES, MARIHUANA, AND OTHER ILLICIT DRUGS SUCH AS LSD. THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DESIGNED TO MEASURE THE STUDENTS' BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS, THEIR RATES AND PATTERNS OF DRUG USE, AND THEIR ATTITUDES ABOUT DRUG USE AND RELATED ISSUES, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE SCALES OF ALIENATION AND DELINQUENCY. RESPONSES SHOWED THAT THE DRUG MOST FREQUENTLY USED IS ALCOHOL. ALTHOUGH USAGE OF CIGARETTES IS MUCH LOWER THAN USAGE OF ALCOHOL, BOTH ARE GENERALLY SEEN AS ACCEPTABLE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY. HISH SCHOOL STATUS CORRELATES WITH NONSMOKERS. USAGE OF OTHER DRUGS IS NOT RELATED TO SOCIAL STATUS AT A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT LEVEL. USERS OF CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL ARE MORE LIKELY TO USE ILLICIT DRUGS AS WELL. SEVERAL ATTITUDINAL ITEMS IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE CORRELATED STRONGLY WITH THE STUDENT'S PATTERN OF DRUG USE. THE STUDENT'S DESIRE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DRUGS IS CLOSELY RELATED TO MARIHUANA USE. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FREQUENCY OF DRUG USE AND WILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER OTHER DRUGS IS STRONG. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DIFFERENCE IN ALIENATION LEVEL BETWEEN USERS AND NONUSERS, ALTHOUGH THE DIFFERENCE IS NEITHER SPECTACULAR NOR DIFFERENTIATED ACCORDING TO DRUG TYPE. RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVING DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE ARE MUCH STRONGER. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE PROVIDED IN THE STUDY. (LWM)