The relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and illicit drug use are relatively unexplored and obscure. Data gathered from a sample of youths in a juvenile detention center permitted an examination of this important issue. A structural model, specifying the influence of child physical and sexual abuse variables on the youths' illicit drug use, directly and as mediated by self‐derogation, was estimated among male and female detainees. Results suggest that for both gender groups, sexual victimization had a primarily direct effect on drug use, whereas physical abuse had both a direct and an indirect effect on drug use. The indirect effect of physical abuse on drug use was mediated by self‐derogation. Further analysis indicated race did not affect the results. The implications of these results for theroy and research on the etiology of drug use and the identification of youths in high risk groups who are likely to become seriously involved in drug use are discussed.

The relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use are little understood and underinvestigated. Data gathered from a study of youths in a regional detention center permitted an examination of this issue. The results indicate that the youths' physical and sexual abuse experiences are significantly and positively related to their use of illicit drugs. The implications of these findings for further research are drawn.

Mounting evidence of serious adverse consequences of childhood physical and sexual abuse has important implications for public health officials and care providers. Given the potential impact on social policy of this area of inquiry, programmatic research is needed for the validation of theoretical models across populations and over time. This study, based on a sample of high-risk youths, replicates a structural model that specified the influence of child physical and sexual abuse on self-derogation and drug use. Results suggest that for male and female youths, physical abuse and sexual victimization had a direct effect on self-derogation and illicit drug use, and an indirect effect on drug use that was mediated by self-derogation. Moreover, structural coefficients for the model were found to be identical across gender. Subsequent analyses demonstrated the equivalence of the structural model of child physical and sexual abuse on drug use across two study cohorts. Implications for the identification and treatment of youths in high-risk groups are discussed.

The relationship between child physical and sexual abuse and illicit drug use are little understood and underinvestigated. Our previous study of this association found that a sample of detained youths' physical and sexual abuse experiences were related significantly and positively to their use of illicit drugs. Data gathered from a new sample of detained juveniles, interviewed 3 years after our first study, relating to this issue were examined and our previous findings were replicated.

Urine testing and confidential interviews of youths entering a juvenile detention center in a southeastern city produced some striking results in regard to their drug use, delinquent behavior, and emotional/psychological problems. Recent users of marijuana/hashish and cocaine had higher rates of referral to juvenile court for property and drug offenses than nonusers. The results suggest that interviewing and urine testing of youthful detainees for drug use at the point of entry into secure detention is a promising method for screening youngsters with histories of delinquent behavior. Implications of these findings are drawn.