In order to investigate relationships between socialization and perception of drug abuse risks among adolescents, we propose to assess the socialization patterns of Virgin Islands adolescents to identify gender and cultural differences between the major ethnocultural groups in the Territory. Youth and parents from each group will be group will be interviewed to identify the limits to behavior that are imposed by parents, and whether and how these limits differ culturally. In this study, adolescents and parents from four cultural/ethnic groups, black Virgin Islanders, Eastern Caribbean natives, French Virgin Islanders and Hispanics from the Dominican Republic, will participate in focus group discussions. A total of 232 subjects will be included. The sample will comprise 160 male and female adolescents 13-18 years old selected from junior and senior high schools in St. Thomas, VI. The students will be disaggregated into discrete groups of 8 by age, sex and culture/ethnicity for the focus group sessions. The parent groups will comprise 72 individuals in groups of 8 from each of the four cultural groups. In addition, to permit a comparative analysis, 32 at-risk youth divided by sex will be selected from two placement sites for troubled or at-risk youth, the New Horizons Alternative Education Program, an educational program that serves failing middle school children, and the Youth Rehabilitation Center, a youth detention center. There also will be one group of 8 parents referred by the Department of Human Services, to represent the perceptions of parents of troubled adolescents. Analysis of the qualitative data derived from these focus groups will establish culturally relevant perceptions of family functioning and adolescent socialization as these pertain to risky behavior and drug use. This project provides an opportunity to gain an understanding of cultural and gender role socialization and their relationship to risky behavior. This work will be useful in planning prevention and intervention programs for adolescents in the areas of drug use and related outcomes.
