SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND RELATED NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Date

1983

Authors

MERMER, DONALD

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

YU Faculty Profile

Abstract

The present study concerned the self-reports of high school students in selected pairwise relationships between: the frequencies of their self-reported use of specified controlled substances and of their self-reported negative school behavior; gender, grade level, and overall grade average. Mediating relationships between school/community variables and the self-reports of frequency of both use of controlled substances and negative school behaviors were also considered.;The population sampled included students in grades nine through twelve: 652 at School A, a rural high school in the southeast section of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and 791 at School B, an urban-suburban high school in the southern tier of New York State.;Data were gathered from student responses to the Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude and Usage Scales. Each high school was first analyzed separately, and then a comparison was made between the two high schools in order to carry out the exploratory aspect of this study.;In both schools, a significant positive relationship was observed between the self-reported use of cigarettes, beer, wine, liquor, marijuana and stimulants and the self-reported frequency of truancy, lateness, class cutting, referral for disciplinary action, being sent out of the classroom, cheating and vandalism.;Male students in School B reported significantly more frequent use of marijuana than did females. Additionally, in each school, males who reported frequently using specified controlled substances also reported more specified negative school behaviors.;Grade level and the self-reported use of certain controlled substances by students in both School A and School B were significantly and positively related. In addition, School B students in higher grade levels who reported significantly more frequent use of beer, wine and marijuana, also reported more class cutting than similar users in lower grade levels.;A significant negative relationship between overall grade average and use of controlled substances were observed for each school, in part. Self-reported frequent users who reported lower overall grade averages in each school also reported significantly more frequent specified negative behaviors than students who reported higher overall grade averages.

Description

Keywords

Educational administration.

Citation

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-11, Section: A, page: 3230.