Adolescent Substance Abuse
Introduction
Adolescence is the middle period of childhood transition to adulthood where a teenager slowly engages and interacts with the outside world. It is also a time of opportunities and risks for youth where they get the chance to grow physically, socially and cognitively but also easily affected by risky behaviours such as misuse of substance. According to Clark and Thatcher (2008) , adolescence is the “developmental period of highest risk for the onset of problematic alcohol and other drug” . Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs, which can lead to addiction and is likely to continue into adulthood. (World Health Organization, 2013) .
Nowadays, adolescent have trending in alcohol and other drugs abuse as common norm during adolescence stage. According to World Health Organization (2013) , 320,000 young people between the age of 15 and 29 died from alcohol-related causes, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group. To overcome this self-deteriorating phenomenon, researchers have conducted series of experiments and studies in searching for the causes of this risky behaviour. One of the identified risk factors for the teen substance abuse is adolescent relationship which included their parents, siblings, and peers.
In our discussion paper, we will examine into the social learning theory derived by Albert Bandura by looking further into the developmental stages in basis of observational learning through modelling and self-reinforcement as well as how this theoretical perspective is applied into adolescent relationship which influences them in alcohol and other drugs abuse issues. Appropriate pictures will be illustrated to enhance the understanding of social learning theory.
Social Learning Theory
The main theorist who proposed social learning theory came from the collaboration work of Albert Bandura and Robert Sears (Grusec, 1992) . Bandura’s basic idea is that
Adolescence is the middle period of childhood transition to adulthood where a teenager slowly engages and interacts with the outside world. It is also a time of opportunities and risks for youth where they get the chance to grow physically, socially and cognitively but also easily affected by risky behaviours such as misuse of substance. According to Clark and Thatcher (2008) , adolescence is the “developmental period of highest risk for the onset of problematic alcohol and other drug” . Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs, which can lead to addiction and is likely to continue into adulthood. (World Health Organization, 2013) .
Nowadays, adolescent have trending in alcohol and other drugs abuse as common norm during adolescence stage. According to World Health Organization (2013) , 320,000 young people between the age of 15 and 29 died from alcohol-related causes, resulting in 9% of all deaths in that age group. To overcome this self-deteriorating phenomenon, researchers have conducted series of experiments and studies in searching for the causes of this risky behaviour. One of the identified risk factors for the teen substance abuse is adolescent relationship which included their parents, siblings, and peers.
In our discussion paper, we will examine into the social learning theory derived by Albert Bandura by looking further into the developmental stages in basis of observational learning through modelling and self-reinforcement as well as how this theoretical perspective is applied into adolescent relationship which influences them in alcohol and other drugs abuse issues. Appropriate pictures will be illustrated to enhance the understanding of social learning theory.
Social Learning Theory
The main theorist who proposed social learning theory came from the collaboration work of Albert Bandura and Robert Sears (Grusec, 1992) . Bandura’s basic idea is that