Does peer pressure and sensation seeking differentially influence substance use for male versus female trauma-exposed youth?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and objective: Evidence abounds that peer influence and sensation seeking increase risk for substance use, but less is known about possible gender differences that can potentially unmask these risk factors in substance use. We examined the roles of peer influence and sensation seeking in substance use, and whether there are differential impacts of these variables for male versus female trauma-exposed youth. Method: Trauma-exposed young people (N = 301; age range = 14–23 years, M = 19.01, SD = 1.73; 47.84% females) in Northcentral Nigeria were assessed using self-report measures of peer influence, sensation seeking, and substance use. Result: Results revealed that males did not differ significantly from females in substance use at low peer influence, whereas an increase in peer influence predicted greater substance use among males compared to females. The gender effect was not found for sensation seeking as it equally predicted substance use for male and female youths. Conclusion: Findings suggest that substance use prevention, intervention, and harm reduction programs geared toward curtailing deviant peer pressure should focus more on male youths who are evidently prone to such negative effects. Attention should be given to sensation seeking as a potential risk for substance use in male and female youth.