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Jahrbuch Jugendforschung pp 235–262Cite as

The Influence of Close Friends on Adolescent Substance Use: Does Popularity Matter?

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Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine whether adolescents’ relative popularity plays a protective role against peer influences towards substance abuse as suggested by a Social Discrepancy model (Bukowski et al., 2008), or whether, conversely, adolescents’ relative popularity represents a vulnerability factor as suggested by the Socialization-Popularity model (Allen et al., 2005). To achieve this goal, we used a sample of 531 adolescents followed from ages 10-11 through ages 14-15. Participants and their friends provided self-reports of their substance use. Peers rated participants and their friends in terms of popularity. Results suggest that having friends that consume more at ages 12-13 predicts an increase in substance use from ages 10-11 to ages 14-15. In line with the Socialization-Popularity model, but opposite to the Social Discrepancy model, adolescents who were more popular were at greater risk of adopting the drug- related behaviors of their friends, particularly if these friends were also popular. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychoeducation University of Montreal, 3050 boul. Edouard-Montpetit Montréal (QC), H3T 1J7, Montreal, Canada

    Jean-Sébastien Fallu

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Post Box 6128, Succursale ‘A’ Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Montreal, Canada

    Frédéric N. Brière

  3. School of Psychoeducation University of Montreal, 3050 boul. Edouard-Montpetit Montréal (QC), H3T 1J7, Montreal, Canada

    Frank Vitaro

  4. School of Psychoeducation University of Montreal, 3050 boul. Edouard-Montpetit Montréal (QC), H3T 1J7, Montreal, Canada

    Stéphane Cantin

  5. Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3 A, 0373, Oslo, Norway

    Anne I. H. Borge

Authors
  1. Jean-Sébastien Fallu
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  2. Frédéric N. Brière
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  3. Frank Vitaro
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  4. Stéphane Cantin
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Angela Ittel Hans Merkens Ludwig Stecher

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Fallu, JS., Brière, F., Vitaro, F., Cantin, S., Borge, A. (2011). The Influence of Close Friends on Adolescent Substance Use: Does Popularity Matter?. In: Ittel, A., Merkens, H., Stecher, L. (eds) Jahrbuch Jugendforschung. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93116-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93116-6_9

  • Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-531-17656-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-531-93116-6

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