Less serious juvenile drug abusers tend to follow a distinct pattern of initiation to drugs, usually beginning with alcohol and then extending to experimentation with marijuana and more illicit substances. In contrast, more serious drug users may use marijuana before alcohol and other illicit drugs before marijuana. More serious drug use is linked to more serious delinquency, and certain patterns of drug use tend to be associated with certain types of offenders. Teenagers who use alcohol have a lifestyle of general delinquency, rather than one of specific criminal activity. Risk factors for both substance abuse and delinquency include family and peer influences. Some studies show that juveniles may model alcohol or drug use from parental behavior and that poor parenting skills may contribute to substance abuse. Greater marijuana use by an adolescents' peer group results in greater drug use. Conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depression are associated with substance abuse among juvenile offenders and non-offenders alike. The occurrence of multiple diagnoses is high within juvenile offenders who have substance abuse problems. Treatment modalities for adolescent substance abuse include inpatient programs, outpatient programs, multisystemic therapy, adventure-based residential programs, and behavioral family therapy. Multisystemic therapy may provide the most effective treatment approach for substance abusing juvenile offenders, as demonstrated by several studies that show impressive results with this population. A chart shows the effects and addiction risks of commonly abused substances. 9 references and 4 suggested readings