The Influence of Peer Groups on the Risky Behavior of Adolescents

Group 3

03/09/2018

SUNY Fredonia

EDU 224-02
 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
1

Topic

Peer Groups, Drinking, Risky Behavior

Research Question

How do peer groups influence adolescent drinking behavior or risky behavior?

Martins, J.G., Paiva, P.C.P., Ferreira, R.C., Pordeus, I.A., Zarzar, P.M., & Kawachi, I. (2017,

June). New evidence about the 'dark side' of social cohesion in promoting binge drinking

among adolescents. ​PLoS ONE, 12(​ 6), 1-12. doi:​10.1371/journal.pone.0178652

Purpose of Study​​ The purpose of this longitudinal study was to explore how the act of

binge-drinking would affect the adolescent in the “long-run” among students in public as well as

private schools in Diamantina, Brazil. Martins, Paiva, Ferreira, etc. were looking to delve deeper

into the construct of social capital among adolescent peer groups, seeing as adolescents feel as if

their social capital depends totally on maintaining the image of a follower, or as part of the

crowd.

Subjects​​ The study had 588 adolescents from 13 different public and private schools. In the

first survey, the subjects were 12 and 13 years old, then when the second survey was conducted

a year later, those same students were 13 and 14 years old. Of the students, 92.2 percent came

from public schools and 7.8 percent came from private schools. There were 286 males and 302

females. 75 percent of the participants’ families earn 3 times more than the monthly minimum

wage in Brazil. In addition, 61.6 percent of mothers had less than 8 years of schooling.

Summary of Methodology​​ This study was conducted using a survey of 13 public and private

schools. There were 588 adolescents in the first survey. The test was given with the parents’

permission and a teacher present. The participation rate of the test was 92.89 percent. There was
 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
2

a follow up survey which was given again at the same 13 public and private schools, as to get a

100 percent follow up rate. They also made calls to the homes of the students who were not in

school the day the second survey was given in order to keep the results accurate.

Summary of Outcomes/Findings​​ The study showed that males were more likely to binge

drink than females by 8.7 percent, and public school students were more likely to drink than

private school students by 18 percent. Students with mothers who had less than eight years of

schooling were more likely to binge drink than those with mothers who had over eight years of

schooling by 6.37 percent. Also, adolescents whose parents earned less than three times Brazil's

minimum monthly wage were more likely to drink than those whose parents earned more than

three times the minimum wage by 3.3 percent. In addition, students who had a higher social

cohesion in the neighborhood and community, were 3.3 times more likely to binge drink by

themselves, whereas subjects who had a decrease in social capital were less likely to binge drink

alone. Social capital is strongly associated to an increase in binge drinking in adolescents. The

study also showed that, as a whole, the amount of subjects who reported binge drinking in the

one year follow up, increased by 7 percent.

Relationship of Outcomes/Findings to Purpose of Study​​ It was found that adolescents in

Brazil were more likely to binge drink due to peer pressure. This study showed that when

students increased their social capital- in other words, increased the amount of connections they

had with their peers in school and outside of school- there was a significant increase in the

amount of binge drinking for those students.

Text Information​​ Ch 5: Peer Groups pages 131-147

Ch 13: Psychosocial Problems in Adolescents pages 352-361

 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
3

Patrick, M.E. (2017, January). High-intensity drinking by underage young adults in the United

States. ​Addiction 112(​ 1), 82-93. doi:10.1111/add.13556

Purpose of Study​​ This study aims to predict the popularity of binge drinking and high-intensity

drinking among young adults, 18 to 20 years old. The study focuses on binge drinking (5 or

more drinks on one occasion), and high-intensity drinking with either 10 or more drinks or 15 or

more drinks within the previous two weeks before the survey was conducted. The study focuses

on the change in drinking behavior from the transition out of high school and into the next phase

of life.

Subjects​​ About 15,000 seniors in high school from approximately 130 different schools were

given this survey and about 2,400 students were asked to take a follow up survey annually. The

students were separated by the ages of 18, 19, and 20. There was additional separation based on

gender, and self-identified race/ethnicity. Socioeconomic status was based off of parental

education which was determined by if the student had one or more parents that graduated from

college. The 2,400 students who took the follow up survey were separated by if they attended a

four year college, a two year college (and if they attended those colleges part time or full time),

or if they had no schooling at all after high school.

Summary of Methodology​​ The first survey was given to approximately 15,000 students with

an average age of 18 from about 130 schools that were surveyed annually. The surveys were

self-administered were completed by the students at their schools. A subsample of around 2,400

students who completed the survey were selected annually for a follow up, making this a

longitudinal study. Using mailed questionnaires, half of the subjects received another survey

when they were 19, and the other half received one when they were 20. This way, students could
 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
4

be tracked from the end of high school until the first and second year after they graduated.

Summary of Outcomes/Findings​​ In the United States, binge drinking, and high-intensity

drinking are very common for young adults. The study discovered that those young adults who

attend college, are around other young adults, and no longer live with their parents are more

likely to drink. In the two weeks prior to when the survey was given, a quarter of the subjects

reported binge drinking, 10.3 percent reported high intensity drinking of 10 or more drinks, and

4.2 percent reported high-intensity drinking of 15 or more drinks. It was also discovered that

seniors with college-educated parents were more likely to binge drink- 5 or more drinks on

occasion- but less likely to drink at the a high-intensity of 15 or more drinks. In addition, there

was a significant change from the age of 18 to the age of 19 and 20. Of the students who

reported only binge drinking in high school, 23.5 percent recorded high-intensity drinking at the

age of 19 and 20, and of the non drinkers in high school, 5.4 percent became high-intensity

drinkers. In addition, of those who were high intensity drinkers- 10 or more drinks reported in

the previous 2 weeks- 34.5 percent remained high-intensity drinkers at the age of 19 and 20.

Also, of the high-intensity drinkers in high school- 15 or more drinks in the previous 2 weeks-

48.4 percent remained high-intensity drinkers when they were 19 and 20.

Relationship of Outcomes/Findings to Purpose of Study​​ It was found that students who

continued on to a four year college or did not live with their parents were more likely to continue

drinking. Being around other young adults in the transitional phase from high school to the next

phase in life increased the likelihood of underage binge drinking.

Text Information​​ Ch 5: Peer Groups pages 131-147

Chapter 13: Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence pages 352-361

 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
5

Van Ryzin, M.J., Dishion, T.J. (2014, October). Adolescent deviant peer clustering as an

amplifying mechanism underlying the progression from early substance use to late

adolescent dependence. ​Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(​ 10), 1153-1161.

doi:10.1111/jcpp.12211

Purpose of Study​​ The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the depth to which substance

use as an adolescent affects the risk of later substance dependence. Prior research has shown that

youth with history of behavioral issues and rejection by peers, tend to cluster with other

adolescents that have been rejected. They all tend to engage in substance-based behavior,

making that the basis at which they spend time together. The hypothesis was based off of the

dependence among adolescents corresponding with deviant peer group activity.

Subjects​​ Researchers gathered 998 adolescents and their families after they showed interest in

a randomized and controlled trial of family-based intervention. These subjects had come from

three middle schools in the Pacific Northwest. Of the sample of 998 participant adolescents, 472

or 47.3 percent were females. Race was reported by the participants and had come to show that

the sample included 423 (42.3%) European Americans, 291 (29.1%) African Americans, 68

(6.8%) Latinos, 52 (5.2%) Asian Americans and 164 (16.4%) of other ethnicities including

biracial. It was also noted that of the families, 585 (58.6%) had the biological father present.

Between all of the families, the annual family income ranged between $5,000 to more than

$90,000. The median of these salaries was between $30,000 and $40,000.

Summary of Methodology​​ While the subjects were in sixth grade, they were randomly

assigned to either the intervention or control group. Youth reports were made when the subjects

were 12 and 13, and then again when they were 16 and 17. The retention rate was 80 percent of
 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
6

the subjects over the 11-year study. In the questionnaire, the students were asked to report the

number of occasions that they used the substances- tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol- in the past

month. Then, at the age of 19, the subjects completed an interviewer-administered version of the

Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The CIDI is a standardized mental health

assessment that collects diagnostic information about multiple health disorders. For this study,

they used past-year diagnoses of nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana. In addition, the study used

mother, father, youth reports, and observational measures to collect data on how often the

subjects spent time with friends in the past week. The measures used to confirm or deny the

hypothesis consisted of: Substance Abuse, Substance Dependence, Deviant Peer Affiliation,

Parental Monitoring (knowledge), Antisocial Behavior, and Demographics.

Summary of Outcomes/Findings​​ The use of substances- such as nicotine, marijuana, and

alcohol- from an early age increased the chances that the adolescents would break off into a

deviant peer group. Once breaking off into those groups, they are more likely to be influenced

by their peers to continue using those substances, which in turn will increase the tendency for

later dependence.

Relationship of Outcomes/Findings to Purpose of Study​​ The purpose of the study was to

examine whether or not peer groups affect adolescent substance use. The outcomes of the study

showed that there is a very close relationship between peer groups and substance use. More

importantly, the use of substances such as nicotine, marijuana and alcohol will increase the

chances that adolescents will form into groups with other teens who use those substances.

Text Information​​ Ch 5: Peer Groups pages 131-147

Ch. 13: Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence pages: 352-361

 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
7

References

Martins, J.G., Paiva, P.C.P., Ferreira, R.C., Pordeus, I.A., Zarzar, P.M., & Kawachi, I. (2017,

June). New evidence about the 'dark side' of social cohesion in promoting binge drinking

among adolescents. ​PLoS ONE, 12(​ 6), 1-12. doi:​10.1371/journal.pone.0178652

Patrick, M.E. (2017, January). High-intensity drinking by underage young adults in the United

States. ​Addiction 112(​ 1), 82-93. doi:10.1111/add.13556

Steinberg, L. (2017). ​Adolescence ​(11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Van Ryzin, M.J., Dishion, T.J. (2014, October). Adolescent deviant peer clustering as an
 Group 3
Peer Groups and Drinking/Risky Behavior
How do peer groups influence adolescent
drinking behavior or risky behavior?
8

amplifying mechanism underlying the progression from early substance use to late

adolescent dependence. ​Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(​ 10), 1153-1161.

doi:10.1111/jcpp.12211