Gender Differences in Heavy-Episodic Drinking Among Justice-Involved Youth: Testing for Cognitive vs. Social Mediation.

BACKGROUND: There exist gender disparities in heavy-episodic drinking, with male adolescents reporting elevated risk for the behavior. Variation in cognitive development and exposure to antisocial peers may explain these disparities. Deviant peer association may provide a social mechanism and the imbalance in development of dual systems constructs of impulse control and sensation-seeking may provide a cognitive mechanism. Deviant peer association and dual systems imbalance were examined as mediators of the relationship between gender and heavy-episodic drinking among a sample of justice-involved youth.

METHODS: The Pathways to Desistance data were analyzed, a panel study of 1,354 justice-involved youth followed across adolescence primarily comprised of minoritized youth. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect effects of interest and determine whether significant mediation effects are observed.

RESULTS: Male justice-involved youth reported more frequent involvement in heavy-episodic drinking (Male mean = 0.900; Female mean = 0.552). This effect was significantly mediated by deviant peer association, but not by dual systems imbalance.

CONCLUSIONS: Gender disparities in heavy-episodic drinking may be explained in part by greater affiliation with deviant peers by male justice-involved youth. Mentoring programs targeted at male justice-involved youth may aid in reducing this disparity.