Pathways to Adolescent Drug Use: Self-Derogation, Peer Influence, Weakening of Social Controls, and Early Substance Use

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Abstract
We test a model that accounts for the adoption of drug use among adolescents in terms of four explanatory perspectives: self-derogation, peer influence, social control, and early substance use. The data come from a three-wave panel study of junior high school students in Houston (N = 3,052). Using nine variables at Time 1, 10 variables at Time 2, and drug use at Time 3, we operationalize components of all four theoretical perspectives in a path model predicting drug use. Results indicate that the four theoretical perspectives complement each other in predicting subsequent adoption of drug use. Significant primary and intervening roles can be attributed to each of the four perspectives. We discuss these findings in terms of an integrative approach to multivariate models of drug use.

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