Head and Shoulders
Above the Rest
Adolescent and preadolescent use of anabolic
steroids.
by Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.
TWEENS & TEENS News February 2006
The abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS)
among junior high and high school boys and girls,
while extensively studied, is not well documented.
Two studies published by the Health and Human
Services Department estimated that at least
260,000 students in grades 7 to 12 either use
or have used the drugs. One of the earliest
studies estimated that half a million high school
seniors had used steroids, many beginning at
an early age. And the American Heart Association
has estimated that at least half of all Division
I college football players have used the drugs
over substantial periods of time.
However, these and similar studies are estimates.
The full extent of the problem remains unclear.
Some of the potential health risks of steroids
include temporary sterility, premature ossification
of the growth plates in long bones, increased
aggressiveness, connective tissue injury, acne
and (among girls and pre-pubescent boys) masculinization.
Some of the social risks include cheating in
school and breaking the law.
The risks, whether real or not, short or long
term, are apparently perceived as acceptable
by the young users. An underlying reason for
this is youngsters’ belief in the harsher
consequences of abstinence. Kids seem to think
that by not using steroids, they are denying
themselves something that may significantly
improve certain aspects of their lives.
Some of the main reasons youngsters give for
using steroids are: fear of not making the team
or getting noticed by the coaches or scouts;
need for peer acceptance; competition for girls;
belief that it’s the only way to compete
since “all the other guys are using them;”
better self-esteem through improved appearance
or performance; many of the highly paid, highly
publicized and highly talented athletes have
been caught using or admitted using anabolics;
and young athletes feel “invincible”
on them. The invincible feeling makes kids feel
immune to the reported ill effects of the drugs—
enticing kids to reject the medical community’s
dire warnings.
Adding fuel to the fire, parents, coaches and
society in general often thrust young athletes
into daunting sports programs, glorify youngsters
willing to risk their bodies in order to win
and demand that young athletes aspire to greatness.
It can be hypothesized that youngsters often
make the initial decision to use AAS because
of conformity pressure from society. Conformity
pressure may be defined as pressure to make
personal decisions in deference to either one’s
perception of what is expected behavior, or
to the opinions of significant others, such
as peers, parents, coaches and the media.
America is obsessed with being the best. Anabolic-androgenic
steroid use among tweens and teens can be viewed
as a reflection of this powerful cultural preoccupation.
Steroid use, many kids believe, can make being
the best attainable. Because physical appearance
and performance are among the most important
sources of self-esteem among tweens and teens,
and because steroids represent an effective
means of acquiring appearance or performance
results, steroids become even more alluring.
These influences are powerful in that they give
the steroid user a sense of a worthy, respectable
cultural identity. Even if it’s a false
sense, users can feel that by looking stronger,
running faster and scoring more points on the
playing field, they are a more worthy person.
In relation, parents— on the sidelines
of games and even at home over dinner—
may demand (and reward) greater and greater
feats of athletic prowess from their children.
Athletes are constantly told that taking risks
in sports is essential to success. And athletes
are constantly informed that if you get good,
the pros will draft you and offer you millions
of dollars. Or, perhaps more commonly, you’ll
get the girl, you’ll make the team, you’ll
succeed. Young athletes often succumb to this
pressure, as they are easily seduced into believing
that the risks of not using steroids may in
fact be greater than using them.
Under these dynamics, group consensus regarding
the “need” for steroids often clouds
independent judgment. Many studies support this
contention by demonstrating that children who
behave in accord with one moral standard, such
as not using steroids on their own, may change
their actions with respect to another person
or a group of people.
And conformity often becomes stronger as age
advances.
Schools, sports programs and the government
have tried many strategies over the past few
decades to combat anabolic steroid use among
adolescents and preadolescents. The more prevalent
strategies include legalizing steroids, interdiction
(law enforcement and testing), education and
changing societal values. While each strategy
has shown mild success, ultimately these strategies
have proven less than effective in initiating
a shift in risk-taking behavior among young
AAS users.
To date, no organization has adequately addressed
the issue of how to draw children into sports
in a way that discourages drug abuse. Media,
the prevalence of drug abuse among professional
athletes, pressure from parents— and naivete
that their kids may be using steroids, all encourage
youngsters to use steroids, rather than encourage
abstinence.
It’s up to parents to understand that
kids of all ages today, though unknown how many,
are using and abusing steroids. Parents must
step in to speak to their kids about the issue,
seek medical intervention if they deem their
kids at risk for such behavior and bring up
the issue again and again and again. Still,
in my view, finding viable alternatives to steroids
may well be worth the effort. If such alternatives
exist, young steroid users may opt for the less
risky alternative. I do not believe any other
strategy has the power to make this happen.
I believe that the use of steroids is not regarded
as so risky that kids— or adults—
won’t use them.
Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D. is president
of The International Sports Sciences Association.
He has written over 60 books and hundreds
of articles on sports training, fitness, bodybuilding
and performance nutrition. Dr. Hatfield (a.k.a.
“Dr. Squat”) won the world championships
three times in the sport of powerlifting,
and along the way broke over 30 world records,
including a competitive squat with 1,014 pounds
at a body weight of 255 pounds (more weight
than anyone in history had ever lifted in
competition). He hosts the popular fitness
and sports training site, www.drsquat.com.
