Alcohol Use and Violence Among Adolescents in a Multiethnic Setting

Abstract

This study compares the prevalence of drinking behaviors and violence (fighting, weapon carrying, being threatened and feeling unsafe) among Hawaiian, other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), and Caucasian students, using data collected from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Hawaii in 1997 and 1999 (N = 2,146). Native Hawaiians and Caucasians were more likely than other AAPIs to have had a drink and to binge drink. Drinking behavior was a predictor for all violence behaviors, increasing its likelihood as much as ten-fold. Violent behaviors differed by ethnicity. The findings highlight the need to develop culturally sensitive strategies for violence prevention and to explore risk factors among AAPI subgroups.