School Belonging Today, Substance Choices Tomorrow

When I was in year 8, the “druggy group” claimed territory at the middle-right of the oval. It wasn’t as dramatic as it sounds—mostly year 9s and 10s smoking hand-rolled cigarettes and talking about aspirations to drop out of school. Hidden “druggy shirts” under brown and yellow uniforms were flannel-checked shirts that signaled a secondary uniform of sorts, indicating that we belonged somewhere. The older members smoked pot, but my most rebellious accomplishment in my first year of high school was wearing a brown jumper with a thumbhole in the sleeve that I had drilled myself during woodwork class. But our spot at the middle-right of the oval represented something deeper that my recent research with colleagues at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Deakin University, University of Melbourne and Monash University has finally helped me understand.

Last month, we published findings in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction drawing from the Australian Temperament Project—one of Australia’s longest-running studies tracking social and emotional development from infancy to adulthood. Following 1,565 participants, we examined how school belonging at ages 15-16 influenced substance use across young adulthood; at ages 19-20, 23-24, and 27-28.

Two factors jumped out from our analysis: positive feelings toward school and confidence in academic abilities. Reading these results took me straight back to that oval. None of us believed we could succeed at school. Teachers in those early years did not feel like allies. Our belonging came from our shared disconnection in those early years of high school, and in a way, we bonded over not fitting in anywhere else. By my final years, I had found my place at school, developing strong connections with teachers and genuine school belonging. But this wasn’t true for everyone in my old group.

Our research revealed a striking pattern. The sense of belonging students felt at ages 15-16 predicted their substance use not just in their early 20s, but well into their late 20s. Students with strong school belonging were consistently less likely to use cannabis and illicit substances across all time points we measured—at 19-20, 23-24, and even 27-28 years old. For tobacco use, we found the protective effect of school belonging was most powerful when participants were 19-20, and while this effect decreased somewhat by their late 20s, it still made a difference. The numbers tell the story—students with higher school belonging had about 25% lower odds of using tobacco, cannabis, or illicit substances in young adulthood.

But here’s what fascinates me: school belonging didn’t significantly impact binge drinking rates. This potentially reflects something distinct about Australian youth culture and our earlier legal drinking age. Even strong school connections don’t easily override these broader social influences.

As I ponder these findings and think about specific faces from my lunch breaks on that oval. What possibilities opened or closed based on where we found our sense of belonging? The research now backs what I sensed then—that helping students find their place at school isn’t just about their mental health (we found benefits for that too, in another study we did). It could shape choices for many years afterwards.

Our study on school belonging provides evidence that could reshape how we think about substance use prevention. My own path shifted when I found different ways to belong at school. Our research suggests that’s not just an anecdote, it’s an approach that could inform how educators, school leaders, parents and other school community members can support students. Prevention strategies for substance use could focus on helping students find meaningful ways to belong at school.