The Validity of Juvenile Arrestees' Drug Use Reporting: A Gender Comparison

Few studies investigating the validity of drug use reporting among arrestees have included an adequate sample of females to study gender differences. This exploratory study examined gender differences in the validity of drug use reporting among juvenile arrestees, using a gender-matched sample (n = 6,377) drawn from the Drug Use Forecasting Program,1 1992-1996. Self-reported marijuana and crack and/or cocaine use was compared to urinalysis results to test gender differences in the accuracy of disclosure. Among urine positives, girls were more willing than boys to disclose past month and lifetime marijuana use. Gender was not a significant main effect for cocaine use reporting but interacted with race/ethnicity and family structure in predicting valid disclosure. Hispanic girls were significantly more likely than Hispanic boys to underreport recent cocaine use. Among arrestees from homes with one or no parents, girls were significantly more likely than boys to disclose recent cocaine use.