Alcohol, Drugs and Crime: A Study of Juveniles in Detention

• NCJ Number: 212084
• Author(s): Jeremy Prichard; Jason Payne
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 130 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: AIC Research and Public Policy Series, No. 67; downloaded November 16, 2005.

Annotation

This study focused on the drug and alcohol use and criminal behaviors of 371 juveniles (10-17 years old), who were in detention centers in all Australian jurisdictions in 2003-2004.

Abstract

The majority were males, and 59 percent were Indigenous youth; 76 percent had stopped attending school before entering detention. For 58 percent of the youth, the most serious charge leading to detention was a property offense, followed by a violent offense (37 percent). Eighty-eight percent had engaged in drug-related offending, with 85 percent buying drugs and 55 percent selling them. During the 6 months prior to detention, 71 percent used one type of substance regularly, and 29 percent used more than one type regularly; 63 percent used cannabis; 46 percent, alcohol; 20 percent, amphetamines; 8 percent, ecstasy; and 7 percent, inhalants. Generally, substance-use patterns were similar regardless of indigenous status. Findings show a link between drug and alcohol use and criminal offending; for example, 70 percent of the youth were intoxicated at the time of their last offense (48 percent were under the influence of drugs, and 46 percent were under the influence of alcohol). Forty-four percent of those charged with burglary attributed their crimes to the need to obtain money to buy drugs. Almost one-third of the youths charged with assault attributed their behavior to being drunk or high at the time of the assault. Habitual violent and property offenders were three times more likely to be regular users of alcohol and twice as likely to be regular users of cannabis. Thus, the evidence suggests that substance use exacerbates criminal offending. Risk factors linked to substance use and offending were having been violently and/or emotionally abused, living independently from parents, substance abuse by family members, and school maladjustment. The study recommends early intervention to address high-risk environmental factors and substance use. 29 tables, 32 figures, and 100 references