Research Paper on Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence among Teens

Introduction

The use and abuse of substance such as marijuana, cocaine, inhalants ecstasy, and alcohol are highly prevalent among adolescents. The connection between substance abuse and increased violence is well-known; among youth, the use of alcohol and various drugs has been associated with unintentional injuries, physical fights, academic and occupational issues, as well as illegal behavior. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health documented that: youths at the age of 12 and 17 years who used an illicit drug in the past year were almost twice as likely to engage in violent behavior as those who did not use illicit drugs (Abuse, 2006).

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Problem/Issue Statement

Substance abuse, particularly, alcohol and other drugs by adolescents is cause for concern. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), almost 54 percent of American youth and young adults aged 12 to 20 had used an alcoholic beverage at least once in their lifetime (Abuse, 2011). The report also indicates that underage drinkers often consume more alcohol per occasion compared to those over the legal minimum drinking age. Slightly more than 28 percent of 12-17 age group drank alcohol in the past month.

The average number of days of alcohol consumption and the average number of drinks per day was slightly less than five. On average, underage drinkers consumed more drinks per day on days they drank in the past month than did those legally of age to consume alcohol. Less than 10 percent of underage drank their most recent drink in a car or other vehicle. Consumption of alcohol in childhood or early adolescence is a strong predictor of later problems which include substance abuse.

Most adolescents assume that using drugs is not harmful. And heavy substance abuse and addiction among adolescents are most often consistent among those who are faced with other issues such as survivors of childhood sexual abuse, subjects to discrimination and oppression, and people with depression. These adolescents turn to alcohol and other drugs to deal with their pain, as a way of self-medication so they feel better, or as a way of relating to their peers more comfortably.

Literature Review

Substance abuse is shown to have an influence on violent behaviours in three ways: a) the direct effect of alcohol and drugs on a person's propensity to commit a violent act; b) the violence that is committed due to attempts of obtaining money to buy drugs; and c) the systematic effects associated with violence that arise from association with drug distribution system. The research regarding the direct influence of alcohols and drug on violent behavior is inconclusive. Even though there is a moderately strong connection between violence and substance abuse, often, substance abuse follows the onset of violent behavior.

A study that examined the relationship between substance use and violence showed that aggressive behavior at the age of 12 predicted alcohol use at the age of 18, but the use of alcohol at the age of 12 did not predict aggression at the age of 18 (Kilpatrick et al., 2000) . Even though a connection between the drug and the use of alcohol and criminal acts exist, not every delinquent use alcohol or drugs, and most drugs and alcohol users do not often commit serious delinquent or violent acts.

An empirical study based on violence and the effort to obtain money for purchasing drugs and systematic violence that result from sales and distribution of drugs is lacking. Jennings, Piquero, & Reingle, (2012) proposes that youth violence has increased as a result of youths being recruited into the drug industry. The picture is complex by potentially confounding variables that connect violence and distribution of drugs that connect drug distribution networks and violence. Despite the initiative appeal of theory connecting drug trafficking and youth violence, additional evidence is required before a clear connection can be made.

Certainly, the risk factors for both youth and substance abuse have a similarity and it is impossible to ignore the rate of co-occurrence between them. Other researchers have come to believe that both sets of behavior are as a result of the same underlying factors, while others assume that substance abuse is a direct risk factor that contributes to youth violence. Nevertheless, in the absence of controlled experimental observations (Madruga et al., 2012), it is difficult to determine the causal pathway between substance abuse and violence, even though statistical models offer promise in disentangling the relationship.

Conclusion

In sum, the connection between alcohol and substance abuse among teenagers is well documented. Various studies support the notion that individuals are more violent and aggressive while under the influence of drugs or alcohols. Various risk factors at all levels have been identified as being connected to delinquent, violent and aggressive behavior in adolescents. The findings above indicate that the major factor that contributes to the violence and aggression among teens is substance abuse. In addition, correlations have been observed between substance abuse such as smoking, drinking and diligent criminal behavior among adolescents. Therefore, domestic violence cannot be examined without including its overlap with substance abuse. The need for prevention programs for the benefits of reducing violence should be properly examined.

References

Abuse, S. (2006). Results from the 2005 national survey on drug use and health: national findings. http://www. oas. samhsa. gov/nsduh/2k5nsduh/2k5Results. pdf.

Abuse, S. (2011). Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-41, HHS Publication No.(SMA) 11-4658. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 201.

Kilpatrick, D. G., Acierno, R., Saunders, B., Resnick, H. S., Best, C. L., & Schnurr, P. P. (2000). Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse and dependence: data from a national sample. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 68(1), 19.

Jennings, W. G., Piquero, A. R., & Reingle, J. M. (2012). On the overlap between victimization and offending: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 17(1), 16-26.

Madruga, C. S., Laranjeira, R., Caetano, R., Pinsky, I., Zaleski, M., & Ferri, C. P. (2012). Use of licit and illicit substances among adolescents in Brazil-a national survey. Addictive Behaviors, 37(10), 1171-1175.