Cumulative Advantage of Religiosity in Preventing Drug Use

• NCJ Number: 225539
• Journal: Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Dated: Summer 2008 Pages: 771-798
• Author(s): Sung Joon Jang; Christopher D. Bader; Byron R. Johnson
• Date Published: 2008
• Length: 28 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2006-JF-FX-0072
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Taking a life course perspective, this study examined the effects of childhood religious socialization, as well as involvement on drug use during later years.

Abstract

Results of this study show that survey respondents raised by parents who believe religious training as well as service attendance to be important for children are less likely to use drugs during adolescence and early adulthood than those who were not raised by such parents. Prior research tends to find that adolescents who are religious are less likely to use drugs, illicit or licit, than those who are not. However, previous studies of religious effects on drug use have been mostly nondevelopmental. In additions, researchers have rarely examined the long-term effects of religious socialization and participation in religious activities during childhood on drug use beyond the years of adolescence. To fill the gap in today’s literature, this study examined the effects of religious upbringing and childhood involvement in religion on drug use during adolescence and early adulthood based on the concept of cumulative advantage. Tables, figures, appendix, and references