Identifying some factors that might predispose drug abuse among learners in a South African township school

Abstract

This study inquires into some of the factors that might predispose the use and abuse of drugs among secondary school learners in a township school. The objective of this research is to identify these factors and to offer a few suggestions on how the abuse may be prevented. A quantitative research strategy is used and a document analysis technique has been incorporated to collect the data. Various hypotheses are stated. The independent variables used are: gender; age group; educational category; distance from school; and caregiver. The dependent variables used are: alcohol abuse; marijuana abuse; cigarette smoking; other drug abuse; total number of abuses; and outcomes at school. Statistically significant relationships are found between the following variables: distance from school and cigarette smoking; distance from school and other drug abuse; caregiver and marijuana abuse; and caregiver and total number of abuses.