Peer Influence And Youth Substance Abuse In metropolitan kano:A Differential Association Perspective

Abstract

Substance abuse among youths and its attendant consequences increasingly becoming a critical social problem with far-reaching implications that require a comprehensive understanding of its underlying causes. While various factors contribute to this problem such as experimental curiosity, lack of parental supervision, and socioeconomic conditions, this study adopts Sutherland's Differential Association Theory as a valuable alternative and a compelling sociological explanation for the rising incidences of youth involvement in substance abuse 
among young people in Kano Metropolis. The aim of this paper therefore, is to examine the impacts of peer group influence in the spread of substance abuse among the youths in Kano metropolis by adopting the theoretical assumptions of Sutherland's Differential Association theory as a guide and frame of analysis. The theory posits that criminal and deviant behaviors are learned through interaction and communication within intimate social groups. Guided by this theoretical lens, the study investigates how peer influence and exposure to deviant subcultures shaped the attitudes and behaviors of youths towards drug use in Kano Metropolis. A mixed-method research approach was employed integrating qualitative and quantitative methods for deeper understanding of the phenomenon. A total of 350 respondents were selected through availability and snowball sampling techniques. The study found that in line with Sutherland's assertion, peer group, social learning patterns, neighborhood dynamics and frequent interactions with drug-using peers are important factors that significantly influenced the spread of substance abuse among the youth in Kano metropolis. As such, the study recommends that parents, guardians and community members should monitor the movement and behavior of their children and the company they keep and also ensure proper and strengthened family socialization. The study also recommends targeted interventions focusing on peer group reform and community-based sensitization as effective strategies for reducing youth involvement in substance abuse.