Physical abuse, sexual victimization and illicit drug use: A structural analysis among high risk adolescents

The relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and illicit drug use are relatively unexplored and obscure. Data gathered from a sample of youths in a juvenile detention center permitted an examination of this important issue. A structural model, specifying the influence of child physical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 1987-03, Vol.10 (1), p.13-34
Main Authors: Dembo, Richard, Dertke, Max, La Voie, Lawrence, Borders, Scott, Washburn, Mark, Schmeidler, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Child Abuse
Child Abuse - psychology
Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology
Drug Abuse
Female
Humans
Juvenile Delinquency - psychology
Male
Medical sciences
Models, Psychological
Prisoners - psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Risk
Self Concept
Sex Factors
Street Drugs - administration & dosage
Substance-Related Disorders - etiology
Victimization
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Summary:The relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and illicit drug use are relatively unexplored and obscure. Data gathered from a sample of youths in a juvenile detention center permitted an examination of this important issue. A structural model, specifying the influence of child physical and sexual abuse variables on the youths' illicit drug use, directly and as mediated by self-derogation, was estimated among male and female detainees. Results suggest that for both gender groups, sexual victimization had a primarily direct effect on drug use, whereas physical abuse had both a direct and an indirect effect on drug use. The indirect effect of physical abuse on drug use was mediated by self-derogation. Further analysis indicated race did not affect the results. The implications of these results for theroy and research on the etiology of drug use and the identification of youths in high risk groups who are likely to become seriously involved in drug use are discussed.
ISSN:0140-1971
1095-9254
DOI:10.1016/S0140-1971(87)80030-1