The Impact of Parenting Factors, Deviant Peers, and Coping Style upon Adolescent Drug Use

Social learning theory and recent findings regarding stress and coping are integrated to form a model of adolescent drug use. Analysis of data obtained from interviews with 343 youth largely support the model. Parental rejection, deviant peers, and a combination of low self-esteem with an avoidant coping style served to increase an adolescent's probability of drug use. The findings suggest that treatment of adolescent drug use should utilize both individual counseling, focusing upon social/coping skills, and family therapy, with an emphasis upon parenting practices.