WHAT CAUSES TEENAGE SUBSTANCE ABUSE?
While there is no single, root cause for teenage substance abuse, there are a number of significant contributing factors which can combine to produce an adolescent addict: 1. Dysfunctional family life. If either or both parents demonstrate poor self control in their own lives, this sets an all-too-flagrant example for a child to follow. Short tempers, hostile outbursts, severe marital conflicts, compulsive workaholic schedules, verbal and physical abuse and other symptoms of family dysfunction plant the seeds for a child becoming a substance abuser in adolescence. 2. Academic and social failure. Not every poor student turns to alcohol and drugs. Most do not. But when academic failure is combined with lack of friends, parental rejection, overall feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem and boredom, a teenager is a prime candidate for the attractive, quick fix “solution” offered by substance abuse. 3. Child abuse and molestation. A vastly disproportionate number of teenaged substance
