Social skills, competence, and drug refusal efficacy as predictors of adolescent alcohol use

Numerous alcohol and drug abuse prevention trials have included social resi stance training as a strategy for reducing early-stage adolescent alcohol u se. Evaluations of these trials has shown them to be moderately effective, although the precise impact of the resistance training in comparison to oth er programmatic features has not been clearly identified. The current study examined the extent to which assertiveness and related social skills, pers onal competence (perceived cognitive mastery), and refusal efficacy predict alcohol involvement. Males were at greater risk for poor refusal skills an d reported higher alcohol involvement. Cross-sectionally, youth characteriz ed by poor social skill development reported lower refusal efficacy, lower grades, poor competence, and more alcohol use. Poor refusal efficacy was as sociated with more risk-taking, lower grades, less competence, and more alc ohol use. Longitudinally, both poor refusal skills and risk-taking were ass ociated with higher alcohol use. High personal competence was associated wi th lower alcohol use in both the eighth and tenth grades, but had no long-t erm effects on alcohol use. Findings highlight the close interplay between perceived competence and refusal skill efficacy, both of which should be in cluded as essential components of school-based prevention strategies.