SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE AMONG DEVIANT AND NONDEVIANT ADOLESCENTS IN ISRAEL

The study examined the hypothesis that the use of psychoactive substan ces is strongly associated with social deviance. Patterns of alcohol a nd drug use among two samples of deviant adolescents were investigated and compared to patterns of use among a sample of non-deviant youths. The participants were as follows: ninety-seven juvenile delinquents, inmates in institutions, aged twelve through eighteen; 184 detached yo uth, aged twelve through eighteen, who are in treatment programs of th e Departments of Youth Advancement, Ministry of Education & Ministry o f Welfare; and a nationwide representative sample of 8151 high school students, aged twelve through eighteen. Substance use was measured by three self-report indices: frequency of use during the last year, use during the last month, and use during the last week. The results clear ly indicate that psychoactive substance use is concentrated among Isra eli groups of deviant adolescents. These adolescents use all types of substances, licit as well as illicit, at rates considerably exceeding those found among high school students. However, a great similarity wa s found between the deviant groups of adolescents and the high school students in several personality correlates (sensation seeking, anxiety , depressive mood and learned resourcefulness) of substance use, and t o a much lesser degree in its interpersonal correlates (perceived clos eness to parents and to peers). The results' implications for preventi on am discussed.