Associations Between Proactive and Reactive Subtypes of Aggression and Lifetime Substance Use in a Sample of Predominantly Hispanic Adolescents

The current study evaluated the link between proactive (goal-oriented) and reactive (behavior in response to a perceived threat) aggression and lifetime alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use in a sample of 152 predominantly Hispanic (94.7%) high school students. Furthermore, the impact of neighborhood violence and gender invariance on these associations were examined. Findings suggested unique associations between proactive, not reactive, aggression and use of all three substances. No significant interactions between the aggression subtypes and neighborhood violence were evident, and no gender differences emerged. Findings suggest targeting proactive aggression for the prevention of substance use for both males and females.