Citation

Leung RK, Toumbourou JW, Hemphill SA, Catalano RF. J. Res. Adolesc. 2016; 26(4): 902-917.

Affiliation

University of Washington.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jora.12241

PMID

28453212

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine and cross-nationally compare the peer group patterns of alcohol-drinking behaviors among cohorts of early adolescents (ages 11-14 years) in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State, United States. Latent transition analysis revealed that after 1 year, transitions congruent with peer influence (whereby non-drinking adolescents initiated alcohol use in the presence of drinking peers) and reverse peer influence were observed in both states; however, transitions congruent with peer selection (whereby drinking adolescents self-selected into drinking peer groups) were only observed among Victorian early adolescents.

FINDINGS were interpreted to suggest that Australian family and cultural norms that more commonly allow early adolescent alcohol use lead to a higher rate of peer selection.

© 2015 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2015 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Language: en