Contextual Factors In Substance Use

Adolescence is a time where adolescents grow and mature at a rapid rate. It is also a time where adolescents are more vulnerable to taking risks, such as using and becoming addicted to illegal substances, due to raging hormones. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents are confronted with an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors by their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs in order to get “high”. Adolescents who engage in drug use are likely to become addicted, and thus, their addiction will negatively affect their brain development.

In most if not all cases, the class you are born into will determine how you will be raised, and who you will grow up to become. Whether you can speak up for yourself, if you are humble with what you have or you have a more hectic schedule or not, it all plays into what class you are from. No two childhoods are equal and Annette Lareau in her book, Unequal Childhoods explains why this is the case. I will be examining chapters four, five, and seven. These chapters examine poor and working children and teenagers and how their childhoods differ and relate to each other based on the class they were born in whether that be lower class to the poor. What can be learned from examining these three kids, Harold McAllister, Katie Brindle, and Tyrec Taylor is the advantages and disadvantages of having a childhood in the class of the poor or working class.

Teenage drug abuse is an issue that can result from a wide variety of social influences, stressful events, and mental disorders. Drug abuse among adolescents is a troubling issue because it decreases focus, increases the chance of consistency in behavior during adulthood, increases the chances of developing emotional issues, permanently damages the brain, and damages tissues in every system that can lead to death. Previous scientific research has identified that social factors, including the media and peers, play an important role in psychological development and impact the adolescent's decision to start experimenting with substances (Botvin 888). Appropriate solutions for the teenage drug abuse issue already exist, but the only remaining

Among Asian-American adults, those aged 18-34 had the highest rates of suicidal thoughts (11.9 percent), intent (4.4 percent) and attempts (3.8 percent) compared to other age groups. This shows that the strict method that Chinese mothers use usually leads to their children to develop elevated levels of suicidal thoughts. A paragraph in the article Christine Lu states that ” My big sister was what I use to jealously call “every Asian parent’s wet dream came true”, she committed suicide a month after her wedding at the age of

The new sample is comprised of 1,086 students between the ages of ten and eighteen. Various surveys, questionnaires that require a positive response to be rated on a Likert scales, and self-reports garner information about the offender’s socioeconomic status, life stressors, home life, coping styles, alcohol/drug use, and mental health problems (Aebi et al., 2013). After a statistical analysis, the overall conclusion is that children and adolescents who exhibit behavioral problems, consume alcohol, and are of low socioeconomic status are at risk for delinquency (Aebi et al., 2013). Additionally, the article notes that juvenile offenders who have a propensity to avoid coping with stress

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related consequences, poor peer relationships, mental health issues, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. There are also significant consequences for family members, the community, and society in

According to Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, conducted among high school students, over 70% tried cigarettes, 25% smoke daily for at least a month and over 80% of students have used alcohol at least once5. Many factors impact the likelihood of adolescent substance use. One risk factor for adolescent substance use is perceived ease of access to substances4. Also, the type of substances being used by adolescents varies by geographic location. Students living in rural areas report higher perceived access to alcohol, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and steroids while students living in urban areas report higher levels of perceived access to marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, methamphetamine and hallucinogens4. Depression during adolescence is linked to substance abuse. Students who did not have many peers of the same racial/ethnic group in their school reported poorer school attachment, which in turn is related to depressive symptoms3. Positive relationships among peers tend to have an impact on substance use in

Adolescent substance abuse is a phenomenon in our country that has been steadily inclining ever since the 2000’s. The effects of this incline are very straight forward and call for action. The facts are that alcohol and drugs are the leading causes of crime among youth and that alcohol and drugs are the leading factors in teenage suicide. (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 2014) Because adolescence is such a crucial developmental age the effects of alcohol and drug use are catastrophic. To fully understand this phenomenon we must firs operationalize all of the factors we are trying to study. The DSM V classifies substance abuse as,

Several risk factors were identified for both cultures including similarities between the two, (see Figure 2). Through interviews conducted with the mothers, it was found that the Asian culture was predisposed to depressive conditions because of its cultural patriarchy. Thirty-one of the one hundred and fifty women had admitted to feeling symptoms of depression before conception. Additional results from the interviews indicated extended family

Demographic attributes and psychopathology might add to self-destructive conduct, yet practices can likewise be impacted by interpersonal connections in particular settings (e.g., family) and more extensive social settings (e.g., working environments and neighborhoods). Dangerous variables for suicide might be ethnically remarkable relying upon social qualities, convictions, and standards. In this manner, a more profound comprehension of suicide in Asian Americans past demographics and psychopathology is crucial. Many Asian Americans do not ask for help, as it is looked on as “weak” in their society. Asian Americans are less likely to publically acknowledge their personal and/or psychological problems. They are also less likely to rely on any sort of mental health services. Instead, many are more likely to rely on culturally acceptable traditions of discipline and family order as a way to solve their underlying mental issues, such as depression (Lam, 2014).Journalist, Katherine Kam reported that “Family conflicts and academic failure loom large, but some have a family history of depression, which might make them genetically vulnerable.” She also states that “it doesn’t help that Asian parents, more than other groups, often reject professional diagnoses of their children’s depression and mental health. They fear that any mental problems will reflect badly on their son or daughter, as well as tarnish their entire lineage” (Lam, 2014). Many immigrants come from countries where mental illness is considered a low priority in the health care world. Treatments for mental health issues in many of these countries are nonexistent, and they believe people should over-come their problems on their own, through self-discipline and their own will power (Lam, 2014). When Asian Americans fall into illnesses such as depression, they are more likely to neglect and

Luther & D’Avanzo sample included 264 Suburban students who were mainly Caucasian, white-collared families, and 224 children of the minority from the inner city and of low SES. Substance use was evaluated via the frequency of drug use grid in the Monitoring the Future Study Survey (Johnston, O’Malley & Bachman,1984). The frequency of drug use grid is a 7-point scale that ranges from “never” to +40+ times” measuring the frequency of several different drugs over the past year (Johnston,O’Malley &Bachman,1984). Also, Other questions on the survey asked about depression, anxiety, and family. The study concluded that affluent youth had higher levels of anxiety and depression, due to pressures of family and society. It was also; found that the wealthier youth used cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs more frequently than youth with lower SES to cope with their

All families want their children to be happy, healthy, and grow. Social classes make a difference in how parents go about meeting this goal. In Annette Lareau book, Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life, she promotes middle class parents as concerted cultivation. Middle class parents encourage their children’s talents, opinions, and skills. For example, engaging their children in organized activities and closely monitoring children’s experiences in school. According to Lareau, middle class children gain an emerging sense of entitlement through this pattern of converted cultivation. This causes a focus on children’s individual development. There are signs that the middle class children gain advantages from the experience of concerted cultivation. However, the working class and poor children do not gain this advantage.

In recent years, numerous studies have focused on the conditions and influences of substance use in the development of adolescents worldwide. Current studies are discovering multiple pathways and important risk factors that contribute to the increasing usage of substances surrounding adolescents. Specifically, considerable data referring to the influence of adolescent’s self-esteem to substance abuse. In order to fully understand the complexity of substance abuse, one must consider multiple factors that impact an adolescent’s life greatly, such as their environment and self-esteem. In order to consider the single influence of substance abuse to an adolescent, research must focus on finding similar patterns among substance use, environments, and self-esteem. Research shows that children affected by substance abuse show similar patterns of low self-esteem. These substance abusive experiences include specific socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods, homes with parents that use substances, and adolescent’s own substance abuse struggles. These three different pathways of substance abuse have an equifinal deficit of an adolescent’s self-esteem.

The social environment of teens holds an enormous influence on how the teens act and behave. Teens are easily influenced by their surroundings and they look to others for guidance. Their behavior results from that of the parent and peer influences. Parents play a particularly influential role in their child’s life and it is up to them to make sure that they are leading their sons or daughters in the right directions. A teen’s peers also play a large role in how the teen behaves when the parents are not around. A teen’s social environment, consisting of family and peers, plays a vital role in their life, therefore becoming the ultimate cause of juvenile delinquency.