Scientists, educators, and parents of teens have long recognized the potency of peer influences on children and youth, but until recently, questions of how and why adolescents emulate their peers were largely overlooked. This book presents a framework for understanding the processes by which peers shape each other's attitudes and behavior, and…

Included in this document are selections of topic-specific articles on marijuana research reprinted from the National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) research newsletter, NIDA Notes. The collection features articles originally published from 1995 through 2002. Topics include long-term cognitive impairments in heavy marijuana users, evidence that…

This document examines societal influences that promote the continued use of drugs, considering how "mixed messages" are sent to U.S. youth regarding the acceptable use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD). It analyzes public and private sector policies, practices, and regulatory initiatives aimed at reducing and eliminating alcohol and other drug…

Although violence and substance use are usually considered urban problems, rates of violence and substance use in rural areas are catching up to urban rates. This collection of six articles explores violence and substance use in rural America, the relationship between the two, the factors contributing to these problems, and effective preventive…

This monograph contains several commissioned papers which attest to the significance of the family perspective in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of drug abuse. Papers discussing the fundamentals of a conceptual framework for the family perspective are followed by a review of theories of family growth and development, structure,…

This volume presents three reports on drug-use and violence-prevention efforts and school-crime patterns in American schools. The reports are based on findings from the Study on School Violence and Prevention, which investigated the extent of problem behavior in 886 schools across the U.S. The findings indicate that schools in general were safe,…

This booklet provides a guide for adults, parents, older siblings, and caregivers to help children develop constructive attitudes about present and future drug use. The first part of the guide focuses on role models in early childhood and implications of their behavior for children's future drug use, noting that parents, family, and the community…

This research monograph is based on papers from a technical review meeting of the same name, held April 26-27, 1994. It provides information about the special nature or context of rural communities that might impact patterns of drug and alcohol consumption and delivery of prevention and treatment services; health, social, and economic consequences…