Gender Differences in Adolescent Drug Use: The Impact of Parental Monitoring and Peer Deviance
Gender is well-established as one of the most important correlates of delinquency. In addition, it is well-known that patterns of drug use and antisocial behavior vary by gender. This study investigated gender differences in adolescent drug use and in exposure to parental monitoring and peer deviance. The research focused on the theoretical constructs parental monitoring and peer deviance in an integrated theoretical framework. The study addressed three questions: (1) is the effect of parental monitoring greater for males or females; (2) do males and females differ in their levels of exposure to deviant peers; and (3) is there any interaction between the effects of poor parental monitoring, exposure to deviant peers, and gender on adolescent drug use given an integrated theoretical framework? Data were collected from two surveys in a coastal town in the south of Sweden. The first survey included all students in their final year of compulsory education, 14-15 years of age, and the second survey included all youths in their final year of further education, 17-18 years of age. Study results indicate that there were a number of differences in adolescent drug use by gender. More males than females have used drugs. Females tended to be more effectively supervised than males. The study also found that males tended to exhibit a higher level of exposure to deviant peers than females. However, peer deviance was found to be significantly related to drug use for both males and females. A significant finding was evidence of an interaction between poor parental monitoring and exposure to deviant peers indicating that adolescents exposed to poor parental monitoring were more likely to become involved with delinquent friends which in turn means they were more likely to use drugs. This study shows the importance of taking gender differences into account when looking for explanations of antisocial behavior and drug use. Appendix and references
Article, 2003
Youth & Society, 34, (March 2003), 300
2003