Exploring Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use and Teen Dating Violence Among Adolescent Males

Reports indicate that 4% of the adolescent males in 2015 had taken steroids without a doctor's prescription. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are illicit drugs that have commonly been used to help build muscle mass. AAS use is associated with negative biological, psychological, and social side effects including substance use, suicidal behavior, and violent behavior.

This exploratory study, guided by an integrated theoretical framework that included the General Aggression Model and the Biopsychosocial Model, examined the relationship between adolescent male AAS use and teen dating violence.

This cross-sectional, secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2013 and 2015 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (MYHS). Participants were high school-aged males with a total sample of 2,080. Primary data analysis was conducted using hierarchical logistic regression.

Findings suggested that adolescent males who used steroids at least once in their lifetime, compared to those who did not, had greater odds of engaging in teen dating violence. Further, males who identified as a sexual minority had greater odds of using anabolic-androgenic steroids, as were those who had at least one suicide attempt in the previous 12 months.

Adolescent male AAS use is associated with multiple psychosocial factors that practitioners, school personnel, and parents must be aware of.