Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (https://jjie.org/tag/science-daily/)
According to a recent National Institutes of Health-funded study, mothers using marijuana during their teen years may have a greater likelihood of giving birth to children who will eventually abuse drugs than mothers who do not use marijuana as teenagers.
Girls who are bullied are at higher risk of substance abuse resulting from depression, according to a new study by Jeremy Luk at the University of Washington. Research had previously shown that both boys and girls who are victims of bullying may suffer from depression, but Luk’s research is the first to identify the link between victimization and substance abuse in girls. Luk says, “If your daughter is a victim of bullying, take it seriously, do all possible to prevent recurrence, and attend to possible depression and substance use.” His findings appear in the December issue of Prevention Science. The full text of the study is only available with a subscription but you can read more at sciencedaily.com.
Two new studies say that videogame addiction in kids may have serious consequences. Although most kids will never have a problem, those who do face an increased risk of depression, substance abuse, and lower grades in school. A study by an international research team found that 9 percent of Singapore kids were pathological videogame players. The researchers say this number is similar in countries around the world. A Yale School of Medicine study found only 5 percent of adolescents reported having symptoms of videogame addiction. However, these kids were more likely to smoke cigarettes, do drugs, and get in fights. Reading both studies requires a subscription but Science Daily has more info. You can read about the Singapore study here and the Yale study here.