Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Bullying may lead to substance abuse in young girls
By Staff Writer
For many adolescents, bullying is an unfortunate part of growing up. However, advances in technology, such as the internet, have provided additional outlets for this form of abuse. A recent study indicates a possible link between the effects bullying has on girls and how it may lead to substance use.
In the study, which appeared in the December issue of Prevention Science, a nationally representative sample of 1,495 10th graders were surveyed. The teenagers were asked a number of questions that were designed to measure symptoms of depression over the 30 days prior to receiving the survey.
These questions provided evidence of the participants’ emotional well being, sleeping habits and thoughts. In addition, they were asked how often they had used substances such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.
The study found that while depression caused by victimization may be an issue for boys, it might not explain the relation between bullying and substance use. For young girls however, the researchers believe that depression caused by bullying has the potential to lead to substance use.
Parents of young girls are advised to be on the look out for signs of depression. If bullying has led to the use of drugs and alcohol, then these teenagers might want to seek substance abuse help before an addiction can develop.
