Understanding the effects of school social networks on young people's health

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Adolescent health behaviours, such as smoking, drinking and drug use, are ‘social‘ behaviours and young people‘s attitudes and actions relating to these behaviours are influenced by their friendships and developing sense of identity. Research suggests that, as young people meet new friends, form strong relationships and develop their ‘identities‘ at secondary school, these in turn influence young people‘s health-related behaviours. Young people‘s use or rejection of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs is a particularly important element in how many friendship groups identify themselves. For example, there are the ‘smokers‘ and ‘pot heads‘ using some or all of these substances and also the ‘football boys‘ and ‘sporty girls‘ who may reject these substances. The aim of this study is to explore further these ideas and investigate how schools influence the size, shape, identity and other characteristics of students‘ social networks and how these relate to aspects of young people‘s health-related behaviours. This study will use a mix of different research methods, including new analyses of existing quantitative data and interviews with groups of young people, to provide clearer evidence about the effects of school social networks on young people‘s health and, ultimately, to improve public health actions and inform further research in this area.