School, family, and peer predictors of adolescent alcohol and marijuana use

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the contribution of family, school, and peer characteristics in alcohol and marijuana use. Since it is focused on adolescent relationships with their environment, the Primary Socialisation Theory was used as a theoretical background. A total of 6788 adolescents from different secondary school programmes participated in the research. The CTC questionnaire for children and youth, the School Attachment Scale and the Commitment Scale, and the Adapted Resilience and Youth Development Module were used. Besides calculating the descriptive parameters, the univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used. The results indicate an increasing number of alcohol and marijuana use among male at higher school classes. Caring family relations have shown to be a strong protective factor for alcohol and marijuana use. In a school context, a low commitment to school tasks, skipping school, and low school success are predictors of alcohol and marijuana use. Caring peer relationships have also shown to be predictors of drinking and marijuana use, while the probability for consumption got lower among adolescents reporting about hanging out with peers who hold high expectations. Presented results are emphasizing the importance of investing in quality of adolescent relationships with their environment, and making a strong case for preventive investments.