ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PEER INFLUENCE FOR ADOLESCENT DRUG-USE - COMMONLY NEGLECTED CONSIDERATIONS

Peer influence is generally believed to be a major cause of adolescent drug behavior. This paper reviews research findings on friend selecti on and projection to suggest that the magnitude of friend influence ma y be overestimated. This paper also observes that, although adolescent drug use is assumed to begin in response to peer group influence, pee r groups have rarely been measured in studies of drug behavior. Social network analysis is identified as a promising method for measuring pe er groups. The implications of this review for research and programs a re considered.