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Cited by 276Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesYouth, Drugs, and ViolenceChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

ABSTRACT

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Kenneth A. Dodge, Patrick S. Malone, Jennifer E. Lansford, Shari Miller, Gregory S. Pettit, John E. Bates·2009·Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
DOI 10.1111/j.1540-5834.2009.00528.xPMC PMC3857111
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Abstract

Although the onset of illicit substance use during adolescence can hit parents abruptly like a raging flood, its origins likely start as a trickle in early childhood. Understanding antecedent factors and how they grow into a stream that leads to adolescent drug use is important for theories of social development as well as policy formulations to prevent onset. Based on a review of the extant literature, we posited a dynamic cascade model of the development of adolescent substance-use onset, specifying that (1) temporally distinct domains of biological factors, social ecology, early parenting, early conduct problems, early peer relations, adolescent parenting, and adolescent peer relations would predict early substance-use onset; (2) each domain would predict the temporally next domain; (3) each domain would mediate the impact of the immediately preceding domain on substance use; and (4) each domain would increment the previous domain in predicting substance use. The model was tested with a longitudinal sample of 585 boys and girls from the Child Development Project, who were followed from prekindergarten through Grade 12. Multiple variables in each of the seven predictor domains were assessed annually through direct observations, testing, peer nominations, school records, and parent-, teacher-, and self-report. Partial least-squares analyses tested hypotheses. Of the sample, 5.2% had engaged in substance use by Grade 7, and 51.3% of the sample had engaged in substance use by Grade 12. Five major empirical findings emerged: (1) Most variables significantly predicted early substance-use onset; (2) predictor variables were significantly related to each other in a web of correlations; (3) variables in each domain were significantly predicted by variables in the temporally prior domain; (4) each domain’s variables significantly mediated the impact of the variables in the temporally prior domain on substance-use outcomes; and (5) variables in each domain significantly incremented variables in the previous domain in predicting substance-use onset. A dynamic cascade represented the most parsimonious model of how substance use develops. The findings are consistent with six features of social development theories: (1) multiple modest effects; (2) primacy of early influences; (3) continuity in adaptation; (4) reciprocal transactional development; (5) nonlinear growth in problem behaviors during sensitive periods; and (6) opportunities for change with each new domain. The findings suggest points for interventions, public policies, and economics of substance-use and future inquiry.

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  • Weak parental monitoring in childhood coupled with deviant peer bonding during adolescence further escalates alcohol use and increases the likelihood of adult alcohol dependence.

    “Weak parental monitoring in childhood, coupled with deviant peer bonding during adolescence, further escalates alcohol use and increases the likelihood of adult alcohol dependence (Guo et al. 2001; Dodge et al. 2009).”

    From Decoding the bidirectional links between alcohol misuse and aggression: toward a unified translational framework (2026) · cites this paper as Dodge et al. 2009

    The Introduction’s Theoretical and Empirical Integration section hypothesizes that low parental supervision in adolescence predicts deviant-peer association and, in turn, substance-use onset. The Review of Risk Factors section also reports reciprocal links between deviant-peer affiliation and alcohol use in Grades 7–9. These passages do not establish that weak monitoring in childhood and adolescent peer bonding increase the likelihood of adult alcohol dependence; the proposed pathway is hedged and concerns adolescent substance-use onset. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Peer influences combined with environmental stressors like community disorganization and academic failure contribute to a developmental cascade toward substance dependence.

    “These peer influences, combined with environmental stressors like community disorganization and academic failure, contribute to a developmental cascade toward substance dependence (Guo et al. 2001; Dodge et al. 2009; Van Ryzin et al. 2012).”

    From Decoding the bidirectional links between alcohol misuse and aggression: toward a unified translational framework (2026) · cites this paper as Dodge et al. 2009

    The Introduction’s theoretical-integration section describes a developmental cascade in which ecological risks, parenting difficulties, and deviant-peer associations increase the likelihood of substance-use onset. The risk-factors review also identifies academic underachievement as a risk factor. The paper does not establish a cascade toward substance dependence, and its model does not specifically identify community disorganization as a contributing stressor; those parts of the claim go beyond the source. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Dodge, K. A., Malone, P. S., Lansford, J. E., Miller, S., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • University of South Carolina (US)
  • RTI International (US)
  • Auburn University (US)
  • Indiana University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2009-11-17
Volume
74
Issue
3
Pages
vii-vii
ISSN
  • 0037-976X (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-5834
DOI
10.1111/j.1540-5834.2009.00528.x
PMC
PMC3857111
OpenAlex
W1538278647
Cited by
276
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 18
Type
conference abstract
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH57024, MH 42498, R01MH057024, MH56961, R01MH057095, R01MH056961, MH57095, R01MH042498)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 16903, R01DA016903, P30DA023026, K05DA015226, DA015226)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Youth, Drugs, and Violence
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
early childhood predictors, parenting, conduct problems, peer relationships, adolescent parenting, social development theory, sensitive period, substance use prevention
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Models, Theoretical, Age of Onset, Substance-Related Disorders

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