ANTISOCIAL TENDENCY AMONG DRUG-ADDICTED ADULTS - POTENTIAL LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF PARENTAL ABSENCE, SUPPORT, AND CONFLICT DURING CHILDHOOD

This study examined the relationship between perceptions of parent-chi ld relations in the family of origin and antisocial tendency in a samp le of drug-addicted adults. Data included retrospective accounts of ch ildhood family factors, adolescent antisocial tendency, and self-repor ted hostility and risk-taking prior to treatment entry. A developmenta l model was tested that included adolescent antisocial tendency as a m ediator of the relationship between childhood parenting factors and ad ulthood antisocial tendency. The effects of parental support and confl ict were found to operate primarily through adolescent measures. Speci fically, lower levels of parental support and higher levels of conflic t with parents predicted greater adolescent antisocial tendency, which in turn predicted more hostility and risk-taking in adulthood. Thus, parental support appears to serve as a buffer against deviant behavior and drug use.