The Role of Perceived Peer Prejudice and Teacher Discrimination on Adolescent Substance Use: A Social Determinants Approach

Abstract

Although Black adolescents have reported a lower prevalence of substance use relative to non-Hispanic Whites, Black youth are disproportionately affected by adverse social outcomes. Social scientists have highlighted that using a framework that includes perceived peer prejudice and teacher discrimination as social determinants of adolescent risk behaviors is essential to fully understanding substance use behaviors in adolescents. However, this area of research remains underdeveloped. This study examined whether and to what extent perceived peer prejudice and teacher discrimination affect binge drinking and marijuana use by Black (n = 514) and non-Hispanic White (n = 2,818) adolescents using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Wave 2, Public Use dataset. Findings suggest that peer prejudice increased the risk of substance use in non-Hispanic White youth only, whereas experiences of teacher discrimination increased the risk of substance use in both Black and non-Hispanic White youth. The study’s limitations are noted, and implications for future research are discussed.

Racial discrimination and alcohol use and negative drinking consequences among Black Americans: a meta‐analytical review

“…Blacks show a distinct pattern of alcohol-related behaviors over the course of development [7] and a higher level of racial discrimination experiences [11][12][13][14] compared to other racial groups. However, findings are mixed when assessing all-black samples, with some studies reporting positive associations [11,17] and others reporting null results [18,19]. However, findings are mixed when assessing all-black samples, with some studies reporting positive associations [11,17] and others reporting null results [18,19].…”

Prevalence and correlates of substance use among trans*female youth ages 16–24 years in the San Francisco Bay Area

“…In turn, these co-morbidities have been associated with substance use; for example, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological distress and depression have been associated with the use of individual substances as well as multiple substances (Booth et al, 2010; Conway et al, 2006; Deykin and Buka, 1997; Falck et al, 2002; Glasner-Edwards et al, 2009; Grant et al, 2004; Haller and Chassin, 2014; Hien et al, 2005; Tang et al, 2007). Similarly, perceived discrimination has been linked to substance use in multiple populations (Clark, 2014; Hunte and Finlayson, 2013; Otiniano Verissimo et al, 2014; Respress et al, 2013). Additionally, drug and alcohol use of parents has been shown to predict adolescent drug and alcohol use (Bahr et al, 2005; Li et al, 2002; Merikangas et al, 1998; Patrick et al, 2014; Rhee et al, 2003; Yu, 2003; Yule et al, 2013).…”

Exploring the Relationships between Perceptions of Peer Prejudice, School Attendance, and Academic Performance among Adolescent Youth

“…Given the limited number of studies that exist in this area of research, the alarming statistics that African American and Hispanics have the highest high school dropout rate nationwide (11%, and 24%, respectively) when compared to their overall composition within the United States [44,45], poor academic achievement, mental health issues, substance abuse, and gang involvement [12,46], the present study attempts to further existing research by focusing on differences that may exist in the relationships between perceptions of prejudice in school and the relationship between attendance and academic performance among African American, Caucasian and Hispanic adolescents. With the limited research in the field it seems apparent that such an examination would be necessary to understand potential risk factors among adolescents in hopes to bolster treatment intervention and prevention programs that target youth, ultimately improving academic achievement among this population.…”

“…The study provides a very unique opportunity to examine the relationship between contextual factors and life achievement outcomes [46]. The data sampling was based on a sample of 80 high schools and 52 middle schools throughout the United States, producing a sample intended to be representative of schools throughout the United States with respect to region, urban city, school type, ethnicity, and school size.…”

“…Participants scores ranged from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of an adolescent perception of peer prejudice, [African Americans (M males =3.05, SD males=1.23, M females=2.94, SD females=1.15), Caucasians (M males=3.34, SD males=1.14, M females=3.32, SD females=1.08) and Hispanics (M males=3.14, SD males=1.15, M females=3.10, SD females=1.02)]. This measure or question item has also been used in previous studies to assess perceived peer prejudice [46,49].…”