Rural Adolescent Substance Use: Community Causes and Cures
The Routledge International Handbook of Rural Criminology (Joseph F. Donnermeyer, ed., 2016)
Posted: 7 Nov 2015
Date Written: November 5, 2015
Abstract
This chapter examines current research on adolescent substance use in a rural context. The research consisted of numerous national and international youth health surveys that not only measured substance use, but also accounted for risk and protective factors unique to the rural community. Literature focused on prevalence rates revealed that rural youth consume both illicit and prescription drugs at higher rates than metropolitan youth. Poor school bonding, idleness, poverty and decreased access to health care contribute to the rise in rural adolescent substance use. It is recommended that research on this topic continue to expand in order to identify solutions to this hidden problem
Keywords: crime, criminology, substance use, drug abuse, controlled substances, criminology, geography, legal geography, rural, protective factors, risk factors
JEL Classification: K14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation