Adolescencia, grupo de iguales y consumo de sustancias. Un estudio descriptivo y relacional

Abstract

Our aim was to describe how frequently do 15 to 18 year old adolescents attending school engage in certain substance use, and to analyze the correspondence between this use behaviour and types of peers. A questionnaire was answered by 6,821 Spanish boys and girls. This was a representative sample regarding habitat (rural/urban), type of school attended (public or private) and country geographic area. Results show that adolescents who engage in the use of substances which are common within our context (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) have friends who also engage in this “normative use” behaviour; whereas infrequent substance users (glue, medical drugs, opiates) have friends who not only engage in the use of these substances, but also in antisocial behaviour. Data is discussed arguing that the use of substances which are common in our society has ended up being part of a greater system of rites of passage to adulthood, whereas the use of non frequent substances could be seen as another indicator of a life possibly marked by different problems and adversity.