Substance Use and Fighting among Male and Female High School Youths: A Brief Report

While previous studies have investigated the relationship between substance use and violent behaviors among youths, the individual influence of specific drugs among males and females is poorly understood. Using the Nevada 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) Survey (N = 1,556), weighted logistic regression was used to assess the independent substance use correlates of physical fighting among males and females. Final models controlled for sociodemographics, gang membership, parental monitoring, and other drugs. Our data suggest that there are gender differences in the individual drugs that are correlated with fighting among high school students. For males, binge drinking was independently associated with fighting, while for females, marijuana and methamphetamine were independent correlates.