NCJ Number
140764
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 4-6
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Questionnaires were administered to 2,573 boys enrolled in public schools in Pittsburgh and randomly selected from the first, fourth, and seventh grades and interviewed in their homes to examine the causes and correlates of early forms of delinquency and substance use.
Abstract
A consistent increase was observed across grades in the use of each kind of substance. Smoking tobacco and the use of wine, hard liquor, and marijuana increased by at least a factor of 10 between the first and seventh grades. Most of the salient increases occurred between grades four and seven. The lifetime use of one substance frequently was associated with the use of one or more other substances. Membership in a more serious group of substance users significantly increased the likelihood of involvement in conduct problems and delinquency. Progression into more serious substance use was related more to conduct problems and delinquency for first-graders than for fourth-graders. For seventh graders, the extent of advancement into the substance use sequence was accompanied by increased involvement in a larger variety of more serious conduct problems and delinquent behavior. These findings require validation by additional data from longitudinal studies. 4 references