NCJ Number
212450
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 619-654
Date Published
October 2005
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This study explored whether adolescents exposed to risk factors experience a broad range of delinquent and health outcomes over time.
Abstract
Previous research has discovered a clustering effect involving substance abuse, mental health problems, and conduct disorder among adolescents. This suggests the possibility of a set of common factors that predispose certain adolescents to a variety of deleterious outcomes. The current study works within a criminological theoretical framework to examine the underlying processes that may contribute to this broad range of co-occurring health problems, substance use, and delinquency involvement. The study also examined the potential temporal ordering among the outcomes. Data were drawn from the first 2 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health that interviewed 4,834 adolescents on their self-reported substance use, depressive symptomatology, self-rated physical health, delinquency involvement, family structure, family income, family attachment, school attachment, peer attachment, and demographic variables. Results of statistical analyses indicate that delinquency outcomes, health outcomes, and substance use outcomes are predicted by the same risk factors. The fact that most outcomes were associated with one another suggests that they may be comorbid outcomes of risk exposure. Temporal associations were discovered between a variety of outcomes, including between perceived health and a variety of drug use and between nuisance delinquency and alcohol and marijuana use. Future studies should focus on the internal psychological outcomes associated with health problems, substance use, and delinquency involvement. Tables, note, references, appendix