Abstract
Background: The use of drugs is characterized by a significant increase in incidence around the age of 15 years, a higher prevalence among specialized school students compared to students of secondary vocational schools, and by far the highest proportion of cannabis among other illegal addictive substances. Social factors affecting use are represented by many phenomena, the status of individuals in the classroom, as it examines sociometry is one of them.
Aims: The aim of research is to give an example of one class to describe the relation between the position of student in the class and his cannabis use. Design and Measurements: A case study using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods primarily focused on the structure of relationships.
Creation of data provided through the questionnaire cannabis use, socio-metric questionnaire and semistructured interview. The data analyzed by statistical and socio-metric methods.
Participants: The intentional selection, a case study of first-year secondary vocational school, 21 students, 11 boys and 10 girls, mean age 16 years. Results: Lifetime prevalence of cannabis use 67 % of last month 33 %.
Identified socio-metric types of central, ordinary, isolated and unacknowledged class members. Statistically significant evidence that the degree of experience to the consumption of cannabis is directly proportional to socio-metric status of a student in the classroom.
Central and ordinary members do not understand cannabis use as a necessary sign of higher status, while isolated individuals perceive that cannabis non-users, as something that excludes them from the group. Conclusions: A case study does not allow any generalization, socio-metric method can be interesting for future studies of risk behaviors and directly for preventive work.