|
 Students
know that studying won’t guarantee a top grade, but it does increase the chances
of one. They know that washing their hands frequently
doesn’t mean they will
never be sick, but it does reduce the risk of flu
and colds. But do
they know that using alcohol and other drugs, while not directly causing
violence, increases the risk of either being violent or becoming a victim?
Drugs, Drinking and Violence - Background Info
Understanding the Link
Parent Tips for Prevention
Sources and
Resources
Background
Teens who report engaging in violent behavior are also  extremely
likely to report using alcohol and other drugs. One national survey found that
94% of violent
teens reported using alcohol, 85% reported using marijuana and 55% reported
using several illegal drugs.
Another study found that teenagers who drink alcohol are at higher risk of
becoming victims of violence, even if they weren’t violent themselves. Children
who reported drinking monthly were also three times more likely to be hit.
Adolescents who drank but didn’t get into fights were more likely to be hit than
those who did fight.
Research has also found that substance use and self-harm - another form of
violence - seem to go hand-in-hand. One study found that drug and alcohol
abuse was the most common characteristic of teen suicide attempts, with 70% of
adolescents who died by suicide frequently using substances. Drugs do not
"make" someone commit suicide. Some of the connections between the two
behaviors may be:
è
Teens who
have emotional problems may be more likely to use drugs/drink and to contemplate
suicide
è
Drug use may
aggravate depression or other emotional problems. Marijuana, for example,
has been proven to increase depressive symptoms in young people.
è
Alcohol and
other drugs impair judgment and self-control
It is important to
remember that violence does not cause substance abuse; and substance abuse does
not cause violence. But the two are
linked.
Substances affect normal brain functions – that’s how people experience being
drunk or high. And that’s where the link to violence begins.
Ê
Alcohol and many other drugs weaken the part
of the brain that normally helps people resist impulsive behavior, including
violent reactions.
Ê
People under the influence of these
substances also are more likely to misread others’ words and behaviors, seeing
insults or challenges where none really were.
Ê
Many people expect their behavior to change
when they drink or use drugs, more or less giving themselves permission to act
in ways they wouldn’t if they were sober or straight.
Ê
Victims of physical and/or sexual violence
may resort to substance use to numb their feelings
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Sources &
Resources
SafeYouth.Org
SAMHSA.gov
WAITT Institute for
Violence Prevention
Mentors in
Violence Prevention - Jackson Katz
Journal of Adolescent Health
National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Center for Substance
Abuse Prevention
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