Influence of Family Processes on the Initiation of Drug Use

• NCJ Number: 118953
• Author(s): M D Krohn; T P Thornberry; S Stern
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 36 pages
• Corporate Author: Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Ctr
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the Annual Meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Washington, D.C., March, 1989.

Annotation

This study examines the effect of a number of dimensions of family relationships and parenting skills on adolescent drug use and delinquent behavior.

Abstract

This analysis is based on the 949 seventh and eighth grade students attending Rochester City (New York) schools during the 1987 - 1988 academic year who completed interviews along with one of their parents. This study posed two related questions; (1) are adolescent's and parent's perceptions of family interrelationships shared, and (2) are parental perceptions related to delinquent behavior and drug use differently than are adolescent perceptions? The results suggest that parents have a different perception of family life than adolescents, particularly on disciplinary practices. Also, the reports of adolescents explain more of the variance in drug use and delinquency than those of parents. Among the quality of family life measures included in the analysis, attachment is the most consistent and strongest predictor of delinquency and drug use. 26 references, 6 tables, and appendix.