The Triangulation Effects of Family Structure and Attachment on Adolescent Substance Use

Abstract

Travis Hirshi’s control theory hypothesizes that weak attachment to social control mechanisms increase the likelihood of crime and delinquency commission. The current study examined the effect of family structure and attachment on adolescent substance use, specifically hard liquor and drug use. Youth respondents between the ages of 15 and 18 years from the National Survey of Youth were included in the analyses ( N = 1,036). The sample on which analyses were conducted comprised female ( n = 498) and male ( n = 538) respondents. For both male and female respondents, findings revealed that the family attachment variable emerged as a more significant predictor of adolescent alcohol and marijuana use ( p < .05) when compared with the family structure variable.