Correlation Between Violence & Teen Drug Use
Teen violence rates increase dramatically with drug use. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health teens who abuse drugs engage in violent acts twice as often as teens who do not. The NSDUH also reports violence increases with the number of drugs abused: 45.6 percent of teens abusing one drug engage in violent acts. Abuse of three or more drugs increases the rate of violence to 61.9 percent.
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Statistics
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The National Youth Violence Prevention Center website reports 9 percent of eighth graders used marijuana within the past month. By 12th grade 22 percent of students admit to using marijuana within the last month. Inhalant abuse was the most common substance abused by eighth graders after marijuana. By the 10th grade amphetamines replace inhalants as the second most abused drug. Teens also abuse alcohol, with 22 percent of eighth graders and 50 percent of 12th graders reporting alcohol use within the past month.
Causes
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Violent teens who abuse drugs and alcohol engage in violence more frequently than violent teens who do not use drugs. The violence caused by drug-using teens tends to be more severe and individual violent acts last longer than amongst other teens. The National Youth Violence Prevention Center notes that drugs do not necessarily cause violence amongst teens. Instead, teens who exhibit antisocial and risk-taking behavior gravitate towards violence, substance abuse and other risky or illegal behavior.
Suicide
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Teens who abuse drugs or alcohol commit suicide with greater frequency than teens who avoid substance abuse. Up to 70 percent of completed teen suicide cases involve drug abuse or alcohol, reports the National Youth Violence Prevention Center. The relationship between suicide and drug abuse resembles the connection between drug abuse and violence. The two conditions often occur together, but may both stem from depression or emotional disorders.
Gender
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Teen males engage in violence with greater frequency than teen girls. NSDUH reports 35.6 percent of teen males aged 12 to 17 engage in violent activity over a 12 month period. In contrast, 27.4 percent of female teens in the same age group report violent activity.
Solution
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No easy solution exists for teen violence and drug abuse. Parents can help teens by providing stable home environments and taking threats of violence seriously. The Anti Drug website recommends watching for changes in behavior, secrecy and declining grades as possible signs of drug abuse. Teens abusing illicit substances may suddenly start using incense or deodorizers to mask the smell of drug use in their rooms, or begin borrowing or stealing money for drugs. Catching drug abuse or bullying early lowers the risk of a spiral into increasingly serious substance abuse and violent acts.
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