Social class differences in parental and peer influence on adolescent drug use

Abstract

This study uses data extracted from the 1985 version of Monitoring the Future to test the hypothesis that the effects of parental and peer influence on adolescent drug use differ significantly by social class. Using variables derived from the social control, social learning, and strain theories of delinquency, strongest support is found for the social learning perspective in that peer influence has the greatest effect on adolescent drug use and the effect of parental influence on adolescent drug use is insignificant. In addition, results show that the effect of peers on adolescent drug use is greatest among middle class adolescents. Additional support is found for social control theory in that significant class differences exist with regard to the effects of belief, commitment, religious attachment, and school attachment on adolescent drug use. Finally, results show no support for strain theory in that the effects of expected college success and expected career success on adolescent drug use are insignificant. Implications for integrating the recent work in stratification with the present literature on delinquency are discussed in an effort to provide a more precise explanation of the class‐delinquency relationship.