juvenile delinquency
Are substance use and delinquency among juvenile correlatively related? In the article “Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious
Adolescent Offenders” by Edward P. Mulvey, Carol A. Schubert, and Laurie Chassin, substance use and delinquency are strongly linked together. Studies of youth in juvenile court demonstrate that a majority of court-involved adolescents have recently used illegal substances that are more serious, and frequent adolescent offenders have used more substances. These offenders are more likely to be diagnosed of having a substance use disorder. The issue of when and how individuals develop these occurring patterns of substance use and illegal activity is less clear. Some of the same factors that put an individual at risk for involvement in criminality also put that individual at risk for substance use problems. Parental substance use disorders, poor parenting, violent family environments, and factors such as sensation seeking and lack of behavioral inhibition place an adolescent at higher risk of using drugs and alcohol and engaging in illegal acts. Substance use in itself is certainly not the primary cause of involvement in illegal activity. Substance use, however, may initiate or increase the risk of offending either independently or in conjunction with other risk factors. Substance use and offending might have a simple reciprocal relationship. “Being high” can lower reasoning against involvement in criminal acts, and committing crime might be a way to acquire funds to support substance use. According to this article, one behavior indicates that the other behavior is more likely to occur.
Mulvey, Edward P., Schubert, Carol A., and Chassin, Laurie. (2010, Dec.) “Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders”. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Web. 02 April. 2013.
Adolescent Offenders” by Edward P. Mulvey, Carol A. Schubert, and Laurie Chassin, substance use and delinquency are strongly linked together. Studies of youth in juvenile court demonstrate that a majority of court-involved adolescents have recently used illegal substances that are more serious, and frequent adolescent offenders have used more substances. These offenders are more likely to be diagnosed of having a substance use disorder. The issue of when and how individuals develop these occurring patterns of substance use and illegal activity is less clear. Some of the same factors that put an individual at risk for involvement in criminality also put that individual at risk for substance use problems. Parental substance use disorders, poor parenting, violent family environments, and factors such as sensation seeking and lack of behavioral inhibition place an adolescent at higher risk of using drugs and alcohol and engaging in illegal acts. Substance use in itself is certainly not the primary cause of involvement in illegal activity. Substance use, however, may initiate or increase the risk of offending either independently or in conjunction with other risk factors. Substance use and offending might have a simple reciprocal relationship. “Being high” can lower reasoning against involvement in criminal acts, and committing crime might be a way to acquire funds to support substance use. According to this article, one behavior indicates that the other behavior is more likely to occur.
Mulvey, Edward P., Schubert, Carol A., and Chassin, Laurie. (2010, Dec.) “Substance Use and Delinquent Behavior Among Serious Adolescent Offenders”. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Web. 02 April. 2013.