How Families Impact Development of Alcohol and Drug Abuse or Dependence in Adolescents

Families significantly impact the risk factors of an adolescent developing alcohol and drug abuse dependence in the following ways. One, parental drug and abuse patterns increase the likelihood of a teenager developing dependence. Parents significantly influence their teenagers’ behavior as teenagers tend to adopt their perceptions and values about substance abuse. Thus, by spending time with adults who use substances at the age of fourteen, teenagers begin drinking and doing drugs; they have easy access to the drugs and do not find the behavior wrong. Two, having a history of abuse and victimization also increases the risk of dependency on drugs and alcohol. Teenagers who have endured physical or sexual abuse or have witnessed domestic violence between the ages of ten to twenty-one are at a higher risk of using drugs and alcohol. The violence causes a breakdown in the attachment between a parent and a child leading to tremendous stress and depression. Hence...