title: Longitudinal associations between problem alcohol use and violent victimization in a national sample of adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research indicates that alcohol use is both a risk factor for and a consequence of violent victimization. This study investigated the longitudinal associations between problem alcohol use and victimization, and whether these associations varied by gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add Health) were used to investigate the prospective associations between alcohol use and victimization over three time points spanning 7 years. Because adolescence is a time of rapid growth, we used latent growth modeling (LGM) in addition to traditional cross-lagged structural equation modeling (SEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For boys, both SEM and LGM indicated that problem alcohol use was a risk factor for subsequent violent victimization. For girls, the SEM suggested a bi-directional association, although the LGM provided stronger support for problem alcohol use as a risk factor for, rather than a consequence of, violent victimization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings across the two statistical approaches suggest that interventions that reduce the likelihood of problem alcohol use among adolescents can minimize the short-term risk of victimization and the long-term risk of problem alcohol use in young adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA. mpthomp@clemson.edu
authors.forename: Martie P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Laney
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sims
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kingree
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Windle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*