Native American Adolescent: Social Network Structure and Perceptions of Alcohol Induced Social Problems

• NCJ Number: 245778
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 43 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2014 Pages: 405-425
• Author(s): Carter Rees; Adrienne Freng; L. Thomas Winfree Jr.
• Date Published: March 2014
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Race/ethnicity and the structure of an adolescent's social network are both important factors in the etiology of delinquent behavior this study examines the Native American youth population.

Abstract

Race/ethnicity and the structure of an adolescent's social network are both important factors in the etiology of delinquent behavior. Yet, much of the minority-group delinquency literature overlooks the Native American youth population that traditionally exhibits high rates of alcohol use and abuse. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors compared the structural characteristics of school-based friendship networks of American Indian youth and other racial/ethnic groups. The core sample for the descriptive analysis consists of 70,841 youth (Caucasian = 42,096; Black = 13,554; Asian = 4,758; Hispanic = 4,464; American Indian = 3,426; Other = 2,543; Female = 50 percent). The authors found that Native American youth generally occupy similar social positions within school hierarchies compared to other minority groups. However, American Indian youth have fewer ties at the school level than Caucasian youth, including reports of fewer reciprocated friendships, a smaller number of in-school friends, and membership in less cohesive personal networks. The authors also focus on the detrimental social and physical consequences of alcohol use during adolescence and offer an extended consequences model (n = 5,841) that includes the interactive effects of race/ethnicity, age, and drinking influences on relationships with friends (Caucasian = 59 percent; Black = 19 percent; Asian = 7 percent; Hispanic = 7 percent; American Indian = 5 percent; Other = 3 percent; Female = 54 percent). American Indian youth are no more likely than other youth to report personal drinking as being detrimental to social relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners. The authors address ties between their findings and criminal justice policies and practices, as well as the implications for similar network analyses involving other racial/ethnic groups. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.