Predicting Substance Use Tendencies in Adolescent Boys Based on Parental Parenting Styles, Childhood Trauma, and Perceived Social Support

This study aimed to investigate the role of parental parenting styles, childhood trauma, and perceived social support in predicting substance use tendencies among adolescent boys. A descriptive correlational design was employed. The study population comprised all male students in the second grade of secondary school in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year, from which 200 participants were selected through random cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire (1971), the Bernstein et al. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (1994), and the Zimet et al. Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (1988). Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed that maladaptive parenting styles and childhood trauma experiences were positively and significantly associated with substance use tendencies, while perceived social support was negatively and significantly related to substance use tendencies (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis further indicated that these three variables together accounted for 57% of the variance in substance use tendencies among adolescent boys. The findings underscore the critical influence of familial and social factors in shaping adolescents’ susceptibility to substance use and highlight the importance of preventive interventions in mitigating high-risk behaviors during adolescence.