Substance Abuse as a Response to Bullying

Abstract

Bullying is a pandemic that affects adolescents socially, physically, mentally and emotionally, Previous research has stated that bullying leads to depression and suicide (Radiff, 2012). Adolescents who abuse substances are more likely to suffer depression and suicidal behaviors (Radiff, 2012). Adolescents cope with bullying in different ways, such as using illegal substances to numb the pain. Alcohol is the most abused drug among adolescents, with marijuana and cocaine following second and third (CDC, 2014). The purpose fo this study is to assess the relationship between bullying and substance abuse. As the two highly important public concerns continue to rise in adolescent populations, it is necessary to evaluate if substance abuse and bullying are related. This study is testing a hypothesis, adolescent victims of bullying will abuse substances, including alcohol. The study obtained The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control's (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) data on United States High School adolescents in 2011. Using SPSS, Chi-Square tests were conducted to assess the relationship between bullying and substance abuse. The major finding is electronic bullying leads to high rates of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine abuse. This study will allow future researchers to assess why victims of electronic bullying are more likely to abuse illegal substances than their peers who are not bullied as well as their peers who are bullied at school.