Similarities and differences in correlates of alcohol consumption and problem behaviors among male and female adolescents.

This study examined similarities and differences in correlates of alcohol consumption and problem behaviors among a random household sample of male and female adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. Several similarities emerged between the two gender groups which were consistent with previous research, including a pattern of convergence among the variables of alcohol consumption, times drunk in the last year, and delinquent behavior; the salience of the peer context in alcohol-related behavior; and high associations between reasons, or motives, for drinking and alcohol consumption and problem behaviors. With respect to reasons for drinking, excitement-seeking, or pleasurable, reasons were highly related to outcome variables. Gender differences were reported for relationships between two indices of affective functioning, namely distress symptoms and escapist, tension-reducing reasons for drinking, and outcome variables related to delinquent behavior, school functioning, and aspects of self-concept. These differences are discussed with respect to possible differential socialization experiences among males and females.