Underestimates of student substance use by school personnel: a cause for concern?
The present study was designed to compare school personnel's (i.e., principals, counselors, teachers) estimates of student substance use with student self-reported data. Comparisons were made in 78 schools between 5431 student self-reports of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and 170 school personnel's estimates of student substance use. The results indicated that a significant number of school personnel were unable to estimate student substance use. Personnel who did provide estimates typically underestimated the degree of substance use, in comparison to student self-reported substance use. School personnel did not significantly overestimate use in comparison to student self-reported substance use for any substance in any grade or geographic area. It is suggested that school personnel may resist the adoption of prevention programs because of a perceived lack of need due to underestimation of the substance use problem.
Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.
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DiLorenzo
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Welton
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McCalla
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Finger
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Brownson
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Van Tuinen
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology