Abstract
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.
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This study was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grant R01 CA45576 01 awarded by the National Cancer Institute.
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DiLorenzo, T.M., Welton, G.L., McCalla, T.L. et al. Underestimates of student substance use by school personnel: A cause for concern?. J Behav Med 14, 397–407 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845115
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845115