NCJ Number
108765
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 19 Issue: 5 Dated: (1984) Pages: 541-549
Date Published
1984
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Analysis of self-reports on alcohol use from 92 detained or adjudicated males in the State of Alaska's juvenile residential facility suggests that alcohol appears to have become primarily associated with coping and/or altering mood.
Abstract
Ages in the sample ranged from 12 to 18, with a mean and median age of 16. Within this group, 18 were Alaska Natives, 59 were white, 1 was black, and 14 did not indicate ethnicity. Their offenses ranged from petty theft through breaking and entering to assault and murder. Each participant completed an assessment battery consisting of the Alcohol-Drug Use Survey, the Interest and Preference Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Scales. All 92 reported drinking alcoholic beverages prior to detention. The test results indicated that alcohol was primarily perceived, at an early age, as something to alter mood and to free oneself from conflict or problems. This finding suggests that adolescent drinking behavior may have more to do with personal needs and stresses than with peer pressure to drink. Adolescents' perception of alcohol as a mood elevator or tranquilizer may also be related to parental drinking attitudes and practices. Implications of these results for treatment strategies are discussed. Tables and 23 references.