NCJ Number
193623
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 33 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 442-475
Date Published
March 2002
Length
34 pages
Annotation
A study of students in a middle school in an ethnically diverse southwestern city sought to determine the relationships between male/female gender labels and gender identity in predicting juvenile drug use.
Abstract
The 404 participants were mostly 12 or 13 years old and included 47 percent Mexican American youth and 23 percent non-Hispanic white youths. Fifty-two percent were male; 48 percent were female. The questionnaire included demographic items and Likert-type and dichotomous subscales focused on students’ self-identities and their experiences with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The research used factor analysis to derive three dimensions of gender identity. One dimension related to femininity and nurturance. The second related to masculinity and self-confidence. The third related to masculinity and dominance. Results revealed that males used more drugs, used them more often, and were overrepresented among users of marijuana and hard drugs. Results of bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that masculine dominance related to a higher frequency of recent drug use among both males and females, particularly for males’ use of marijuana and hard drugs, with more drug offers and a greater variety of drugs used. In addition, gender identity measures did not supersede gender labels in predicting drug outcomes, although they were more powerful predictors in combination than separately. Findings supported the premise that gender labels and gender-identity were both important predictors of juvenile drug use and indicated the need for further research on how youths perceive their gender identity in connection with their drug use. Table, figure, notes, and 80 references