UNDERAGE DRINKING, PEER INFLUENCE, AND ESCALATION

Abstract

Juvenile delinquency research has identified two vital (and related) concepts to this area of study: age of onset and escalation. In this investigation, escalation is examined as a function of early drinking. Added to this are the influences of deviant peers and the social control effects of family and church. My analysis shows that consuming alcohol at a young age is correlated with illegal drug use, committing a greater number of illegal acts, committing more serious offences, and being confronted by police for delinquent behavior. Moreover, I show that peer influence has a greater impact on individual behavior than do other social control mechanisms. In conclusion, I offer a critique of current policies aimed at teenage drinking and argue in favor of preventative, rather than prohibitive strategies.

Citation

Hood, M.M. (1996), "UNDERAGE DRINKING, PEER INFLUENCE, AND ESCALATION", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 16 No. 5/6, pp. 73-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb013257