The risk of delinquent to antisocial behaviors among youth (teenagers) seem to be more prevalent in group homes than other foster homes. The aim of this study was to examine the association between negative peer influence and youth antisocial behaviors in group homes. Participants were 875 youth aged 10 to 17 at baseline (2010-2011). Logistic…

Background: Research has demonstrated that parent-child attachment security and school connectedness (SC) are protective factors against substance use, depression, and suicidality during adolescence. However, past research has examined these factors independently, and little is known about how attachment security and SC work in conjunction to…

Background: Although the link between substance use and criminal behavior is well-established, associations between the use of specific substances and specific criminal charges remains unclear. That is, there are mixed findings in the literature, and the majority of extant literature focuses only on associations between alcohol and marijuana use…

Adolescence marks a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, in which engagement to the maladaptive behaviors is more likely to occur. Alcohol and substance use among adolescents is of particular concern because it may lead to multiple forms of injuries, hospitalizations, and premature mortality. With the wider availability of the…

Although adolescent females with asthma are at increased risk for bullying, relationships between bullying at school and electronic bullying and demographics, mental health issues, and substance use have not specifically been studied in these young women. The purpose of this research was to examine such relationships among adolescent females with…

Exposure to violence can lead to a dramatic increase in the likelihood of the development of a substance use disorder (SUD). Given the overlap between the two, substance use for survivors of violence, then, can be a coping mechanism to manage the traumatic effects of abuse and persistent use can evolve into a diagnosable SUD. This study was…

Venue-based strategies offer effective means of targeting men who have sex with men. Few studies have sought to focus on where younger men congregate and understand risk behaviors that may occur at lower (i.e., community centers) versus higher risk venues. Data from 1,311 young men who have sex with men (YMSM) aged 12- to 24-years-old recruited…

This study examined gender differences in a moderated-mediation model examining whether perceived social support moderated depressive symptom and academic achievement mediation pathways from peer victimization to substance use among 1,334 U.S. early adolescents (11-14 years, 50% girls, 51% White). Surveys were administered in schools at three…

The purpose of the current study was to explore whether selfcompassion predicted psychological distress over and above childhood maltreatment and attachment orientation in high-risk youths. Fifty-one youths (31 males, 20 females) aged 17 to 24, recruited from a community non-profit organization in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada,…

The purpose of this replication study is to test the validity of the Adolescent Domain Screening Inventory (ADSI) on an older adolescent population. This cross sectional study used a convenience sample to preliminarily test the validity of the ADSI. Concurrent validity correlations ranged from a high of 0.924 to a low of 0.760. The known…

Adolescent opioid misuse is a public health crisis, particularly among clinical populations of youth 15 with substance misuse histories. Given the negative and often lethal consequences associated with 16 opioid misuse among adolescents, it is essential to identify the risk and protective factors underlying 17 early opioid misuse to inform…

Background: Alternative (or continuation) high schools are institutions designed for students at risk for not graduating due to behavioral, educational, or medical problems. The present study explored the relationship between negative substance use consequences (eg, having trouble at school or work) and noncondom use in this at-risk population and…

While it is well understood that adolescent religiosity is associated with the use and abuse of licit and illicit substances, few studies have revealed the pathways through which religiosity buffers youth against involvement in such behavior. The aim of this study is to examine the complexity of the relationships between religiosity, sensation…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with health-risk behaviors in general samples of adults and adolescents. The current study examined the association between ACEs and these behaviors among a high-risk sample of early adolescents. Five hundred fifteen 9- to 11-year-old children placed in foster care due to maltreatment were…

The present study examines the influence of economic and family stress processes on change in drug and alcohol use in a cohort of 478 Mexican American youth (50.8% female) followed longitudinally beginning in Grade 5 when the youth averaged 10.4 years of age. Adolescents, their mothers (median age 36 at Grade 5), and their fathers (median age 39…