Teen Labels Provide Insights into Drug, Alcohol Use

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The labels that teen-agers use to describe themselves and their peers provide an insight into their drug and alcohol use, according to a study at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

"Headbangers," for example, are significantly more likely to use illicit drugs, whereas "jocks" are at elevated risk for problem drinking, according to the study of adolescent peer groups.

Different peer crowds have distinct patterns of substance use and sexual risk-taking, according to lead author Kathleen E. Miller, Ph.D., RIA research scientist and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, UB College of Arts and Sciences. The study was reported last month at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Philadelphia.

The groups examined in the study were "populars," notable for their premier status in adolescent hierarchy at school; "jocks" who claim status and identity through athletics; "headbangers" who have a reputation for substance use and going against convention, and "averages," which is a default description as well as a distinct crowd.

"'Headbangers' reported significantly elevated levels of all six kinds of substance use we measured: total alcohol consumption, drunkenness, binge drinking, cigarette smoking, marijuana use and other drug use," said Miller. "'Populars' reported somewhat elevated levels of tobacco and marijuana use, and 'jocks' had high levels of problem drinking, but very low levels of smoking or illicit drug use. And substance use by 'averages' doesn't follow any identifiable pattern at all."

Miller and colleagues analyzed data collected from 699 Western New York adolescents who were 13-16 at the beginning of the study. Over a seven-year time period (1989-96), the adolescents provided information about their substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit drugs (marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, hallucinogens, tranquilizers, stimulants and depressants).

The teens were also asked to rate how well a series of peer crowd labels fit them personally. About half saw themselves as "populars," a third identified themselves as "jocks;" and about one in 10.

said that the label "headbanger" fit them "somewhat" or "very well." About half also saw themselves as "averages."

Miller investigated whether teens at risk for substance use gravitate toward certain crowds or whether kids learn to drink or use drugs from peers in their crowd.

"It depends on the crowd," she noted. "For example, 'populars' report moderate levels of drinking and drug use, but it is a behavior they bring with them when they join the popular crowd. In contrast, alcohol misuse among 'jocks' actually gets worse over time once they join the jock crowd; identification with that subculture aggravates the problem. And identification with the 'headbanger' peer crowd further reinforces illicit drug use, but not problem drinking."

Gender, race, and socioeconomic status also have an impact on both peer identification and substance use. Girls tend to identify more with the 'populars' crowd, and less with the 'jocks' or 'headbangers' crowds, than did boys. On average, white teens identify more with the 'headbangers,' 'populars,' and 'jocks' than did black teens. Teens with a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to identify with the 'jocks' label, and less likely to identify with the 'headbangers' or 'averages' labels.

The findings, Miller said, offer an intriguing glimpse into the relationships among peer crowds and teenage substance use over time. She cautions, however, that peer-crowd membership is fluid and negotiable rather than absolute. Many adolescents actively resist designating themselves or their peers in what they see as stereotypical terms. Some adolescents, she added, may identify simultaneously with more than one crowd, and some identify with no crowd at all.

Because peer crowds have considerable influence on adolescent behavior, the study also has important policy implications. "Peer crowds who are closely tied to the institutions of school and conventional society -- like "populars" or "jocks" -- could be valuable allies in substance-use prevention programs," Miller suggested. "Other peer crowds, like "headbangers," probably would be less amenable to such an approach, but we need to understand them better because of their potential capacity to undermine the effectiveness of prevention strategies."

Miller's colleagues on the study included Joseph H. Hoffman, M.A., RIA statistician; Grace M. Barnes, Ph.D., RIA senior research scientist and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Sociology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences; Michael P. Farrell, Ph.D., professor and chair of the UB Department of Sociology; Merrill J. Melnick, Ph.D., professor of physical education and sport at Brockport State College; and Donald F. Sabo, Ph.D., professor of sociology at D'Youville College.

The Research Institute on Addictions has been a leader in the study of addictions since 1970 and a research center of the University at Buffalo since 1999.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York.