Exploring the Effects of School-Related Factors on Student Behavior Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Substance Use

Background: Understanding the complex effects of school-related factors on student well-being remains a key priority in promoting overall youth well-being. Unsafe learning environments reduce student engagement and increase risk for individual, interpersonal, and academic problems (e.g., substance use initiation, depression, bullying perpetration or victimization, absenteeism, and school dropout). The use of substances during childhood and adolescence is a risk factor for developing long-term substance use disorders and has been associated with increased risk of suicide, violent behavior, academic problems, and long-term psychiatric difficulties. School-related risk factors for adolescent substance use include peer substance use, perceived lack of safety, and limited involvement in structured activities. Gender appears to influence the impact of these risk factors, though findings remain mixed. For instance, some studies indicate that bully victimization more strongly predicts substance use among females, while others find a greater effect among males. Thus, this study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine youth substance use as a potential mediator between school-related factors (safety, structured activity involvement, and peer substance use) and behavioral outcomes, while also examining gender-specific effects.

Methodology: Data were collected as part of community research efforts to examine substance use across three schools in one northeastern U.S. state (N=4,568). SEM was used to test relationships among school-related variables (school safety, extracurricular activities, peer substance use) and student substance use, school absenteeism, and threatening behavior. Multi-group SEM was employed to test for moderation by gender.

Results: The hypothesized model provided good fit to the data. Youth involved in activities were less likely to engage in substance use, which was associated with less absenteeism and threatening behaviors. Peer substance use was associated with more youth substance use, which was associated with more absenteeism and threatening behaviors. Gender was found to moderate several relationships. The effect of involvement in school activities on absenteeism was greater for females, while the effect of substance use on threatening behaviors was greater for males. The effect of feeling safe at school on threatening behaviors was greater among females.

Implications: These findings highlight key mechanisms influencing student behavioral outcomes, offering guidance for practitioners and scholars in developing targeted prevention strategies that promote academic success and reduce the adverse effects of youth substance use and school violence. Efforts to increase the availability and accessibility of extracurricular activities may be effective in reducing substance use and threatening behaviors, especially among female students. Efforts to support student well-being may also be reinforced by a focus on the prevention of adolescent substance use and attention to student peer networks as a tool to reduce violence and school absence. Further research should account for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, who are at increased risk for violence and substance use. Prioritizing inclusive, evidence-based prevention strategies is critical to creating safe and supportive school environments for all students.

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