Influence of Adolescents' Gender & Educational Level on Drug Abuse

Gender and education level influence adolescents' drug abuse through perception of risk and access to treatment services. Females are more likely to experience major depressive episodes related to drug abuse. Male college students are more likely to binge drink.

Perception of Risk

• Female adolescents have a higher perceived risk of substance abuse but are more likely to use illicit drugs other than marijuana.

Adolescent alcohol use

• Alcohol use is higher for females (17.6%) and binge drinking is higher for adolescent males (11%), from 2003 - 2006 data.

Adolescent females

• Unmet need for alcohol treatment was higher among females. Females were also more likely than males to perceive illicit drugs as easy to get.

Prevention

• According to information on risk and protective factors from the Office of Applied Studies in 1997, "Increased age [was] associated with a decline in the receipt of in-school alcohol/drug education classes in the past year (e.g., 65 percent for 12 and 13 year olds vs. 42 percent for 17 year olds)."

Criminal justice referrals

• The percentage of adolescents, younger than 18, referred to treatment through the criminal justice system has risen from 38% to 47% from 1992 through 2007. Males are more likely to come into treatment through criminal justice referrals than females.