Substance Abuse among Adolescent Females. Prevention Research Update No. 9.

This document examines what is known about alcohol and other drug abuse (AODA) among adolescent females. The first half of the document discusses the following topics: (1) prevalence and patterns of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among female adolescents; (2) correlates and risk of substance abuse, including age of initiation, appropriateness, coping, dating, decision making factors, educational attainment, family factors, peer pressure, self-concept, sexual behavior, and sexual/physical abuse; (3) prevention and intervention implications, including context of use, differential effects, dissemination of information, educational attachment, family education, peer pressure, resistance skills, risk reduction, self-esteem enhancement, sexual abuse, sexual behavior, stress reduction, drug specific considerations, and targeting high risk populations. The second part of the document presents lengthy, detailed abstracts of recent research studies on these topics which have been published in journals. Approximately 200 references are listed. (ABL)