Objectives: This study examines demographic characteristics and psychosocial factors to determine the correlates of physical fighting and alcohol-related physical fighting among adolescent drinkers. Although research shows that alcohol use and fighting are associated in adolescence, most drinkers do not fight. Little is known about adolescent drinkers who fight or who fight due to drinking alcohol (alcohol-related fighting). Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 1995 in-home survey of the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health were analyzed. This study included a nationally representative school-based sample (N=18,924) of adolescents in grades 7-12. The analyses were restricted to adolescents drinkers (N=8,886). An outcome measure was constructed with three mutually exclusive levels: No Fighting; Non-Alcohol-Related Fighting; and Alcohol-Related Fighting. A backward elimination model building strategy was used to derive a final multivariate polytomous regression model of the correlates of each fighting behavior while controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Results: Among the adolescent drinkers, 26.4% reported non-alcohol-related fighting and 11.9% reported alcohol-related fighting. Mother's education, large usual drinking quantity, drinking alone, delinquency, suspensions/expulsions, low college expectations, and infrequent exercising were associated with both fighting outcomes relative to those who did not fight. Drinking frequency and problem drinking were associated only with alcohol-related fighting. Conclusions: There are overlapping psychosocial correlates of non-alcohol-related fighting and alcohol-related fighting. Adolescent drinkers who report problem drinking are most likely to engage in alcohol-related fighting and may need special intervention programs designed to focus on reducing both alcohol use and aggressive behaviors.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe the psychosocial characteristics of adolescents who engage in non-alcohol-related fighting or alcohol-related fighting. 2. Discuss the similarities and differences of the correlates associated with non-alcohol-related fighting versus alcohol-related fighting among adolescent drinkers. 3. Recognize that adolescents who engage in alcohol-related fighting may need special prevention programs designed to focus on reducing both alcohol use and aggressive behavior.
Keywords: Adolescents, Youth Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.