NCJ Number
146406
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 251-271
Date Published
1993
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Three models reflecting stages of substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and polydrug use) were tested using path analysis to examine subsamples of 626 to 850 subjects and to explore the role of social control in explaining drug use.
Abstract
In the proposed models, both religiosity and religious conservatism were examined as possible mechanisms of social control in substance use. Social class was integrated into social control theory through its proposed influence on school attachment. The effect of parental employment on substance use was analyzed, and the relation between delinquency and substance use was investigated. Questionnaires were completed by students at two universities. Overall, responses showed that high school bonds contributed little toward explaining substance use. Religiosity and religious conservatism accounted for some variance in substance use, primarily underage drinking. Social class was positively related to school attachment in all three models. Parental employment and school involvement variables did not contribute to understanding delinquency and substance use. The author suggests that explanations of substance use can be enhanced through the development of models employing stages of drug involvement. 66 references, 5 notes, and 3 figures