Risk and protective factors for violence perpetration and substance use among a nationally representative sample of adolescents

This study tested the impact of feelings of connectedness to family, school, and community in adolescence on violence perpetration and substance use in adulthood. General linear models were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Three time points of data collected from 7,841 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) were analyzed. The Add Health study is a nationally representative survey of emotional, physical, and social attitudes and behaviors from adolescence through adulthood. Participants were enrolled in the study in 1994, and interviewed between 1994 and 2008. The current study showed empirical support for connectedness to family making adolescents vulnerable to changes in violent behaviors and substance use. Furthermore, sex mediated the relationship between family connection and violence perpetration. Racial/ethnic differences among individuals emerged in violence perpetration and substance use. Possible explanations for these findings are presented and suggestions for future research are discussed