SYNOPSIS

PRESENTATION
Gender Differences in Cannabis Use Initiation Among Adolescent
Exposed to Physical Violence

Presented By : Sidra Sultan

SAP ID: 51280
Supervisor: Dr. Aftab
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OVERVIEW
• Introduction • Theoretical Framework • Conceptual Model

• Problem • Objective • Rationale

• Hypothesis • Literature Review • Methodology

• Ethical Consideration • Statistical Analysis • References

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INTRODUCTION
Cannabis :
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant of a well-known species called
sativa, indica, and ruderalis. It is known as marijuana when it is in dried
flower bud form.
According to estimates, 43% of Canadians between
the ages of 16 and 24 and 18% of those over 25 smoked cannabis in 2017.
In the United States, the percentage of individuals aged 12 or older who
use cannabis has grown from 5.8% in 2007 to 7.5% in 2013. . (Urits et al.,
2021).
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INTRODUCTION
Cannabis addiction impact in Pakistan :
cannabis is the most often used addictive substance in Pakistan,
according to reports from Batool et al. 44.4% of respondents use
cannabis. (Shahid et al., 2022).
Based on the prevalence estimates in the study, cannabis was the
most widely used drug in Pakistan (4·03 million [3·6%] persons
aged 15–64 years). (Yaqub, 2013).
Since cannabis is an illegal substance, people are more likely to
commit crimes like buying or selling it for personal use. According
to statistical data, 41.96 metric tons of cannabis were used in
Karachi alone in 2018. (Khalid et al., 2022).
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INTRODUCTION
Pathway to crack cannabis use :
Several twin studies have demonstrated that genetic and
environmental factors account for a sizable amount of the
variation in the onset, misuse, and dependence on a range of
legal and illegal drugs, including cannabis. (Gillespie et al.,
2009).
Recently, Gillespie and colleagues discovered that in self-
reported measures of cannabis availability, there is a drop in
the shared environmental effects and a rise in the additive
genetic effects between the ages of 8 and 25. (Gillespie et al.,
2009).
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INTRODUCTION
Impact of adolescents on cannabis use :
Adolescence is a stage of life that occurs in humans between childhood
and maturity and is defined by a variety of developmental changes.
While age is not a precise indicator of the adolescent era, in humans, the
age range for this phase is broadly described as 12–23 years. The most
popular drug among young people, who are described by the UN as
those who are between the ages of 15 and 24, is cannabis. Cannabis is
widely used by young people, which is probably due to its perceived
safety and its easier availability. According to estimates, 13 million kids
aged 15 to 16 used drugs in the last year of 2018. (Scheyer et al., 2023).
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INTRODUCTION
Gender Differences in cannabis use and impact of physical
violence exposure :
Numerous studies have been conducted on the subject of gender
variations in the commencement of drug use, including cannabis
usage. Male and female drug use beginning patterns, motivations, and
ages differ, according to several studies. For example, studies show
that men tend to start using cannabis earlier than women. (Chen et al.,
2013). Furthermore, research indicates that gender-specific elements,
including peer pressure, societal norms, and coping mechanisms,
might be part of the differences in the onset of drug use. (Kendler et
al., 2020; McCabe et al., 2020)
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INTRODUCTION
Findings from studies that investigated the effects of specific
ACEs were varied. There was no substantial link between child
abuse or neglect and cannabis use in adolescence, but two
additional studies found that sexual abuse and witnessing
violence among individuals aged 11 to 17 increased the chance
of cannabis use in adolescence. (Hines et al., 2023).
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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Trauma Theory
Trauma Theory posits that exposure to traumatic events can have long-lasting
psychological and behavioral effects on individuals. These effects can manifest as
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as intrusive thoughts,
hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors. These symptoms may lead to maladaptive
coping strategies, such as substance use, including cannabis. This theoretical
framework suggests that adolescents who have been exposed to physical violence
may be more likely to initiate cannabis use as a coping mechanism due to the
influence of trauma-related symptoms and social learning processes. (Radstone
2007).
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CONCEPTUAL MODEL

PROBLEM
STATMENT
This study aims to extend
knowledge in this area by
examining relationships among
physical violence, initiation of
cannabis uses, and progression to
frequent use for male and female
adolescents.
11
The relationships are hypothesized to
be general because the literature
suggests that males and females
initiate and progress at different rates.
Therefore, it is hypothesized that most
forms of Physical violence will
increase the likelihood of cannabis
initiation for male and female
adolescents and extend the likelihood
of fudges to frequent use.

OBJECTIVES
Objective 1
To examine the prevalence of
cannabis use initiation among
adolescents exposed to physical
violence, stratified by gender.
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Objective 2
To find out the patterns of cannabis use
initiation between male and female
adolescents exposed to physical
violence, with a focus on age of
initiation, frequency, and reasons for
initiation.
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RATIONALE
The study will aim to find out the potential differences in gender as a result of being
exposed to violence at home and outside the family, which is reflected in subsequent
cannabis initiation. Existing literature suggests that adolescents may turn to substance use,
including cannabis, as a coping mechanism in response to trauma and stress, with gender
playing a significant role in shaping these behaviors. However, the specific mechanisms
underlying these differences remain underexplored, particularly concerning cannabis use
initiation in the context of physical violence. Hence, the current study aims to bridge this
gap and investigate whether there are gender disparities in the cannabis initiation due to
the witnessed violence. The findings would shed light on all the possible challenges that
male and female adolescents experience in terms of exposure to violence and substance
use.
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HYPOTHESIS
1. Male adolescents exposed to physical violence will have a higher score of cannabis
use initiation compared to female adolescents with similar exposure.
2. The association between physical violence exposure and cannabis use initiation
will be stronger for older adolescents (15-17 years) compared to younger adolescents
(12-14 years), regardless of gender.
3. The relationship between physical violence exposure and cannabis use initiation
will be stronger for adolescents from lower SES backgrounds, with a more pronounced
effect for males.
4. Urban adolescents exposed to physical violence will show higher score of cannabis
use initiation compared to their rural counterparts, with a more pronounced gender
difference in urban areas.
5. Adolescents from single-parent households who are exposed to physical violence
will have higher score of cannabis use initiation compared to those from two-parent
households, with this effect being stronger for male adolescents.
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LITERARY REVIEW
Dellazizzo & Dumais (2020) examined the link between juvenile cannabis usage and physical
1 aggression. Overall, the research on a sizable sample of young adults and adolescents that made up
this meta-analysis points to cannabis usage being a moderate risk factor for engaging in violent
behavior.
According to a Greaves & Hemsing (2020) study, cannabis is the second most commonly
2 used drug worldwide and is either controlled or permitted for recreational use in fourteen US
states and territories as well as Canada.

There has been little research on the gender variations in the association between exposure to
3 communal violence and drug abuse (Pinchevsky & Fagan, 2013). The exposure to violence–
substance use association is evaluated in this study using longitudinal data from the Project on
Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN), and it is investigated if there are
gender differences in this relationship.
 METHODOLOGY 16
Inclusion Criteria
The study will include both male and female.
2- It will be necessary for participants to have above than
12 years and less than 23 years. The current research study will be
3- Participant must have initiate cannabis use exposed to
conducted to investigate the gender
physical violence.
4- Ability to provide informed consent and participate in differences in cannabis use
data.
initiation among adolescents
exposed to physical violence.
Exclusion Criteria
Severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric
disorders that may impact the validity of self-
reported data.
2- There won’t be any participants who are
taking antipsychotic medication.

METHODOLOGY
Sampling Technique
The sample for this study will be achieve through
probability sampling methods such as simple
random sampling or stratified sampling.
Participating in the research are Adolescents from
the different areas of Islamabad. It is possible to say
that the sample of the research is representative of
the specific people since it has both male and female
participants. The ages of the participants as well as
their educational backgrounds has to be taken into
serious consideration.
17
Research design
This study will employ a cross-sectional
design to examine gender differences in
cannabis use initiation among adolescents
exposed to physical violence. The cross-
sectional approach allows for the
collection of data at a single point in time,
providing a snapshot of the relationship
between physical violence exposure and
cannabis use initiation across different
genders.
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SAMPLE SIZE ESTIMATION

Random sampling strategy will

used to collect data from (N=450)
patients of adults with the age
range is 12-23 years.
 INSTRUMENTS 19
Cannabis Abuse Screening Test
Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST, also known as DAST-10). This Demographic Sheet
test contains 10 yes or no questions about how much and how
often you take drugs. It also asks if the drugs are causing A demographic information sheet
problems in your life and health. The answers are scored on a
point system. A score of 8 or more may indicate a drug problem.
is a questionnaire that collects
The target audience of this test are adolescents and young adults, basic information about individual,
(Stoner, 2016)
such as age, gender, education,
Attitude towards violence scale Revised marital status (single, married, and
The Attitude Toward Violence scale is a self–report meas
divorced), family system
ure designed to assess an individual ‘s attitude toward (nuclear/joint), Job experience (if
violence. It consists of 39 items that measure an individual doing), socio-economic status,
‘s beliefs and attitudes about the acceptability and
justification of violence in different contexts. The items are
residence area, and sleeping hours.
rated on a five–point Likert scale, ranging from strongly
disagree to strongly agree(Davidson and Canivez 2012).
 PROCEDURE 20

After a short briefing about the background of the research topic and instruments with the
assurance of confidentiality then present my research instruments to the participant in one
time for collection response. The respondents will be taking using convenient sampling
method. Data collection will be conducted through an online/physical Questionnaire. The
questionnaire will be constructed using online or physical of the survey was shared with
diagnosed sample to the different Hospitals across Islamabad. Before taking part in the
survey, respondents were required to read the general instructions which included the
informed consent. Next, if they do not have any enquiries, and are willing to participate in
the study, they were required to proceed with answering the questionnaire. Lastly, after
they completed the questionnaire, all the responses were submitted for the analysis of
results. Data collected will be analyzed using SPSS version 27.
 ETHICAL 21

CONSIDERATION
Approval
Informed Consent
Confidentiality
Right to Withdraw
Protection of the Participant
 STATISTICAL 22

ANALYSIS
The collected data will be examined with the statistical programmed SPSS version 27. The
demographic data of the participants is analyzed using descriptive statistics on
Demographic variables. Descriptive statistics is a statistical technique that provides a brief
summary of raw data acquired from a sample or population (Kaur et al., 2018). The mean
and standard deviation of the participants' demographic data will be calculated. The current
study will employ logistic regressions, a parametric test, to determine the relationship
between variables. Chi-square test will be utilized to determine the relationship between
variables. Regression analysis will be used to investigate the predicting potential of
variables.
 REFERENCES 23
Chen, P., Jacobson, K. C., & Prescott, C. A. (2013). Developmental trajectories of substance use from early adolescence to
young adulthood: Gender and racial/ethnic differences. Journal of adolescent health, 52(6), 726-733.
Degenhardt L., Coffey C., Carlin J., Swift W., Moore E., Patton G. (2010) Outcomes of occasional cannabis use in
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Dellazizzo, L., Potvin, S., Dou, B. Y., Beaudoin, M., Luigi, M., Giguère, C. É., & Dumais, A. (2020). Association between the
use of cannabis and physical violence in youths: a meta-analytical investigation. American journal of psychiatry, 177(7), 619-
626.
Felice, Carabellese., Chiara, Candelli., Domenico, Martinelli., Donatella, La, Tegola., Roberto, Catanesi. (2013). Cannabis
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availability, cannabis initiation and progression to abuse. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 104(3), 430–438.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02456.x
Greaves, L., & Hemsing, N. (2020). Sex and Gender Interactions on the Use and Impact of Recreational Cannabis.
International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(2), 509. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020509
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Hines, L. A., Jones, H. J., Hickman, M., Lynskey, M., Howe, L. D., Zammit, S., & Heron, J. (2023). Adverse childhood
experiences and adolescent cannabis use trajectories: findings from a longitudinal UK birth cohort. The Lancet. Public health,
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income in cannabis initiation and daily use: Quasi ‐experimental evidence from Sweden. Addiction, 115(12), 2306-2316.
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in Pakistan. EXCLI journal, 21, 1304–1305. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2022-5477
Kulis, S., Marsiglia, F. F., & Hurdle, D. (2005). Gender identity, ethnicity, acculturation, and drug use: Exploring differences
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McCabe, S. E., West, B. T., Veliz, P., Frank, K. A., & Boyd, C. J. (2020). Social context, substance use, and sexual identity
among US high school students. Pediatrics, 145(5), e20192257.
Pinchevsky, G. M., Wright, E. M., & Fagan, A. A. (2013). Gender differences in the effects of exposure to violence on
adolescent substance use. Violence and victims, 28(1), 122–144. https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.28.1.122
 Riphah International University Islamabad

THANK YOU
Presented By : Sidra Sultan