School, Friends, and Substance Use: Gender Differences on the Influence of Attitudes Toward School and Close Friend Networks on Cannabis Involvement

The school environment is extremely salient in young adolescents’ lives. Adolescents who have unfavorable attitudes toward school and teachers are at elevated risk for dropping out of school and engaging in behavioral health risks. Peer network health—a summation of the positive and negative behaviors in which one’s close friend group engages—may be one way by which attitudes toward school exert influence on youth substance use. Utilizing a...