School Violence Exposure and Adolescent Substance Use: A Rural Investigation

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school violence exposure and adolescent substance use. The study looked at three types of school violence (witnessed violence, violent victimization, and violence perpetration) and their relationship to substance use frequency (marijuana use and the use of other illicit substances) during adolescence. A total of 766 high school students from a rural school district participated in this study by completing a survey used to assess youth risk behaviors over the past 12 months. Although results found that overall school violence exposure and adolescent substance use were highly correlated, increased frequency of witnessing violence at school in particular were related to increased frequency of substance use. No significant relationships were identified between violence perpetration or victimization at school and adolescent substance use. Potential implications of these findings for substance use prevention, particularly for adolescents residing in rural areas, are discussed.