Parents may have more influence than they realize when it comes to shaping their children’s behavior, especially for those at higher genetic risk for conduct problems, according to Rutgers Health-led research. 

The study, published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that consistent parental monitoring – meaning knowing where children are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing – can help offset genetic risk for developing behavior problems during adolescence. 

Young sexual minority men – a term used to describe gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men – with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are more likely to begin using substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and illicit drugs at an earlier age, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

Since 2019, overall rates of nicotine vaping have declined among U.S. youth, but those who continue to vape are showing signs of worsening addiction, according to new USC research. Between 2020 and 2024, the share of current users who vaped every day increased from 15.4% to 28.8%. Over the same period, the share of daily users who tried to quit but were unable to rose from 28.2% to 53%. The researchers analyzed the past five years of data from Monitoring the Future, an annual in-school survey that asks 8^th, 10^th and 12^th graders across the country about their substance use.  Over the study period, the demographics of youth vapers also changed. By 2024, more vapers were female, non-Hispanic Black or from a rural area. More youth vapers also reported using other substances, including alcohol and cannabis. Among youth in rural communities, daily vaping jumped dramatically—from 16.4% in 2020 to 41.8% in 2024, a spike that has prompted the study team to examine further. Masonbrink is now planning a follow-up study with youth in urban, suburban and rural areas to explore their experiences with nicotine product marketing and product access, as well as prevention and public health messaging.