Revisiting the Association Between Attachment to Parents and Adolescent Substance Use: Conditional Effects of Parental Disapproval

Social bond theory provides a clear theoretical link between attachment to parents and reduced involvement with substance use regardless of the substance use-related attitudes and behaviors of parents. In contrast, social learning theories contend that attachment to parents may increase substance us...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Meldrum, Ryan Charles (Author) ; Lehmann, Peter S. (Author) ; Kakar, Suman 1953- (Author) ; Silverthorn, Rachel (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: American journal of criminal justice
Year: 2023, Volume: 48, Issue: 3, Pages: 602-634
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Attachment to parents
Differential Association
Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey
social bonds
Social Learning
Substance Use
Description
Summary:Social bond theory provides a clear theoretical link between attachment to parents and reduced involvement with substance use regardless of the substance use-related attitudes and behaviors of parents. In contrast, social learning theories contend that attachment to parents may increase substance use if youth perceive that their parents are less disapproving, or even approving, of it. To date, these contrasting propositions have received limited empirical attention, and the present study aims to resolve this theoretical tension. Using data on a statewide sample of middle and high school students from Florida (N = 48315), we assess the main and interactive effects of attachment to parents and parental disapproval of substance use on youths’ own use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. The results provide evidence that the negative to null effect of attachment to parents on substance use changes to positive as youth perceive parents to be less disapproving of substance use. The findings of this study challenge the assumption that greater attachment to parents is universally protective against substance use and provide support for social learning perspectives over social bond theory.
ISSN:1936-1351
DOI:10.1007/s12103-022-09673-w