Examining the Longitudinal Relations Between Exposure to Violence, Friend Alcohol Use, and Adolescent Alcohol Use Trajectories

Introduction: Being exposed to violence and associating with friends who use alcohol are both associated with substance use in adolescence. However, the direction of the relationship between exposure to violence and affiliation with friends who use alcohol and how these factors affect alcohol use trajectories throughout adolescence is unclear. The current study extends previous research by examining longitudinal relationships between exposure to violence, friend alcohol use, and alcohol use trajectories from adolescence through emerging adulthood.

Methods:  Using data from a longitudinal preventive intervention trial (N=566), this study examines the relationship between exposure to violence in 6th grade, friend alcohol use in 7th grade, and alcohol use trajectories from 8th grade through emerging adulthood among 566 urban, primarily African American youths utilizing a longitudinal latent class analysis.

Results: Three classes of alcohol use were identified, with 44% of participants in the little to no use class, 36% of participants in the normative use class, and 20% of participants in the moderate to high use class. Controlling for affiliation with friends who use alcohol in 6th grade, exposure to violence in 6th grade predicted friend alcohol use in 7th grade (Est.=.095, S.E.=.03, p=.002, OR=1.1), and friend alcohol use in 7th grade predicted alcohol use trajectories in 8^th grade through emerging adulthood (Est.=.561, S.E.=.165, p=.001, OR=1.7). Specifically, adolescents exposed to more violence in 6^th grade associated with more friends who used alcohol in 7^th grade, and adolescents with more friends who used alcohol in 7^th grade were more likely to engage in high levels of alcohol use. The relationship between exposure to violence in 6^th grade and alcohol use trajectories approached significance (p = .056), with greater exposure to violence predicting membership in higher alcohol use trajectories.

Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest that the negative sequelae experienced by youths exposed to violence, such as increased affiliation with friends who use alcohol, also places these youths at increased risk for higher alcohol use throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood.  These findings have implications for prevention interventions designed to help youth process and cope with violence exposure in order to mitigate the negative effects of that exposure.