Which statement about adolescent drinking and exposure to violent traumas is accurate?

Which statement about adolescent drinking and exposure to violent traumas is accurate?

• A. Adolescents who do not drink have higher trauma exposure.
• B. Trauma exposure is unrelated to drinking.
• C. Adolescents who are alcoholics report higher rates of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other violent traumas.
• D. Only those who drink heavily engage with violence.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that there is a real association between heavy adolescent drinking and exposure to violent trauma. Youth who meet criteria for alcohol problems tend to report higher rates of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other violent experiences. This pattern can reflect multiple intertwined factors: trauma can lead to drinking as a coping mechanism, drinking can increase risk-taking or exposure to violent environments, and underlying social or mental health factors can contribute to both outcomes. Importantly, the relationship is about association, not that one causes the other directly. The other statements don’t fit because they either deny the observed link or overstate exclusivity. It isn’t correct that non-drinkers have higher trauma exposure, nor that trauma exposure is unrelated to drinking, nor that only those who drink heavily engage with violence.

The key idea is that there is a real association between heavy adolescent drinking and exposure to violent trauma. Youth who meet criteria for alcohol problems tend to report higher rates of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other violent experiences. This pattern can reflect multiple intertwined factors: trauma can lead to drinking as a coping mechanism, drinking can increase risk-taking or exposure to violent environments, and underlying social or mental health factors can contribute to both outcomes. Importantly, the relationship is about association, not that one causes the other directly.

The other statements don’t fit because they either deny the observed link or overstate exclusivity. It isn’t correct that non-drinkers have higher trauma exposure, nor that trauma exposure is unrelated to drinking, nor that only those who drink heavily engage with violence.