Relationship Between Substance And Delinquency During Adolescence

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

The purpose of this study was to show that an effective drug treatment program in the criminal justice system is a necessity and to show that treatment will reduce recidivism thus reducing crime in society as a whole.

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related consequences, poor peer relationships, mental health issues, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. There are also significant consequences for family members, the community, and society in

Substance abuse is also a factor in recidivism rates. A sizable amount of prisoners met the DSM-IV criteria for either drug dependence or abuse in 2004, with 45% of those in federal prison and 53% of those in state prison diagnosed (Karberg & Mumola, 2006). The Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities completed by the Bureau of justice Statistics in 2004 found that almost one third of state prisoners admitted that their crime was committed while they were under the influence of an illegal substance. It also found that one in every three inmates committed their crime to gain drug money (Karberg & Mumola, 2006). Those who were at high risk for substance abuse were more likely to recidivate than those without drug issues (Wikoff, Linhorst, & Morani, 2012).

Substance abuse and incarceration have had a long, and some would say infamous relationship in the United States. According to May, Cooper, Soderstrom and Jarjoura (2009) (as cited by Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2009) "more than one in three arrests in the United States are related to drug and alcohol use" (p. 669). Many have theorized why there is such a high incarceration rate among substance abusers.

When it comes to juvenile delinquency an adolescent personality is usually impacted from different factors such as early child hood experiences of witnessing a crime, seeing a violent act, being the victim of a crime, or being around others or family who engaged in criminal activity, these factors can either create an adolescent with a positive or negative attitude, or an anti-social behavior which could create a path for a delinquent behavior (Wilson, p. 34). A study has shown that family interactions accounts for about 40 percent of the cause of an adolescent with an anti-social behavior, the study also shown that aggressiveness which is a common trait of adolescent who engage in delinquent acts is usually created from peer influences (Wilson, p. 34).

“Dependent variables are the ones attempting to predict while independent variables are the causes, determines, or precedes in time, the dependent variable” (Hagan, 2010, p.16). The dependent variable in this particular study that Gottfredson and Soule were evaluating was juvenile delinquency. The independent variables in the study were broken down into three separate crimes: property offenses, violent crimes and substance abuse. According to Gottfredson and Soule (2005), juveniles were coded as having used drugs if they admitted to having smoked cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, drunk beer/wine/liquor, or smoked THC in the past year. Subsequently, juveniles were coded as having engaged in property crime if they admitted to damaging or destroying property not belonging to them, theft under and over $50, joyriding or breaking into a building and/or a car. Violent crimes were coded if the juvenile admitted to carrying a weapon, gang fighting, hitting or threatening to hit other peers, or using force to get money (Gottfredson & Soule, 2005, p.5). The hours during the day were broken down into six different categories: Before school, during school, when school let out to 6 PM, 6 PM to midnight, midnight and 6 AM and the weekends. By separating the times out along with the different types of offenses, the authors were able to come to a consensus on their findings, which

In and around most large cities in America, the rising substance abuse epidemic has brought about a renewed interested in determining the root cause of substance abuse, the effects of substance abuse on individuals and societies, and the substance abuse treatment modalities that achieve the best outcomes. In reviewing the current research on substance abuse there seems to be no one clear cause of substance abuse disorders, although there is strong evidence that a number of life circumstances may predispose an individual to a substance abuse disorder, as well as a number of protective factors that may reduce an individual’s risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. One important risk factor that is commonly associated with substance

The purpose of this paper is to determine if there is a link between the influences in a minors’ life and the delinquent behavior they are committing. Juvenile delinquency is the habitual committing of criminal acts or offenses by a young person, especially one below the age at

Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees their parents and they learn by their example. Media plays a role in the use of drug and alcohol use among young people. Many school systems have implemented programs that teach adolescents about the problems of substance abuse that is funded

After reading this weeks assigned text, it is easy to see a relative correlation between the three hypothesis listed. For the purpose of discussion, I will argue Hypothesis 1; “Drug Use Causes Crime.” As stated in the text, numerous studies have been completed and the evidence continually shows that drug use either is a result of a life of crime or perpetuates a life of crime (Levinthal, 2012). The National Criminal Justice Reference Service or NCJRS website states that by looking only at the juvenile population, delinquent crimes and the use of drugs go “hand-in-hand” (NCJRS.org, 1976). Despite this being a dated text, the information is still relevant. Additionally, there is strong evidence that even the occasional use of Marijuana among

“Drugs and Alcohol abuse”, are phrases we hear commonly on the radio, television or in discussions of social problems. People believe it is the user’s personal choice however; it is not only a personal problem that dramatically affects individuals’ life but is a major social problem that affects society as whole. It has become one of the biggest problems in United States today. Alcohol or Drug abuse nearly automatically is linked with criminal acts. The statistical association between alcohol or drug abuse with crime seems to be convincing when examined at the first glance; however, it is not possible to make a conclusion concerning a distinct cause and effect association between the two aspects. Accordingly, this paper will examine

In a study that was done back in 1970 by Sutherland and Cressey, they pointed out that in the U.S. alone, “felons are overrepresented in the addict population, [and] crime rates are increased considerably by drug addiction” (1970, p. 164). Despite having proposed several hypotheses attempting to explain the correlation between drug abuse and crime, they could not reach a conclusion. A decade later, the knowledge about the drug/crime relationship had steadily increased due to numerous studies of the incarcerated or addicted population. However, the information didn’t reveal any viewpoints that made sense aside from heroin. This view was

The social environment of teens holds an enormous influence on how the teens act and behave. Teens are easily influenced by their surroundings and they look to others for guidance. Their behavior results from that of the parent and peer influences. Parents play a particularly influential role in their child’s life and it is up to them to make sure that they are leading their sons or daughters in the right directions. A teen’s peers also play a large role in how the teen behaves when the parents are not around. A teen’s social environment, consisting of family and peers, plays a vital role in their life, therefore becoming the ultimate cause of juvenile delinquency.