Date of Award

Spring 5-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors College Theses

Department

Psychology

Second Advisor

Dr. Joyce W. O'Rourke

Third Advisor

Dr. Beverly Wade

Abstract

This research contributes to the much-needed information on rural children in the South. While drug use plagues our society, research strives for answers to combat the destructive behavior. Very little research studies rural African American children and the effects these issues have on them. The present study (1) focuses on rural African American children's overall self-concept. (2) focuses on rural African American's children's tentative drug use to commonly known drugs of abuse, and (3) seeks out a relationship between attitudes of tentative drug use of an self-concept as they pertain to these African American Children in Southern communities, majority impoverished and rural. This study consisted of sixty-four African American children, age twelve. Most were first born siblings. No other factors were considered. They were given two scales: a tentative drug use scale and self-concept scale in a group of scales. A Pearson correlation resulted in an r=0.001. The hypothesis was not supported. There is no relationship between self-concept and tentative drug use among these rural African American children in these southern communities. However, there were gender differences. Overall, rural African American children in the south have a high self-concept and are rather unsure of their feelings on whether to use drugs in the future, as suggested by the population sampled. The results have implications for more drug abuse presentation programs. This study contributes to the limited research in the subject area and encourages much more extensive research in the area.

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