DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AND DRUG USE (FROM ADOLESCENCE TO ADULTHOOD - CHANGE AND STABILITY IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG MEN, 1978, BY JERALD J BACHMAN ET AL)

• NCJ Number: 59979
• Author(s): J G BACHMAN; P M O'MALLEY; J JOHNSTON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 33 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Michigan
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

MEASURES OF DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE ARE USED TO EXAMINE THE WAYS THAT PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES MAY BE LINKED TO ACTUAL BEHAVIORS AND TO CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR PATTERNS IN YOUNG MEN.

Abstract

THIS STUDY FOCUSED ON DIFFERENCES AND CHANGES IN ACTUAL BEHAVIORS OF YOUNG MEN DURING AND FOLLOWING THE HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. THE MEASURES OF DELINQUENCY AND DRUG USE ARE BASED ON RESPONDENTS' SELF-REPORTS; ALTHOUGH NO DIRECT OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE EXISTS TO VALIDATE THEIR REPORTS, CONSIDERABLE INFERENTIAL EVIDENCE DOES EXIST. THE MEASURES ARE CONSIDERED BASICALLY VALID. THREE MEASURES OF DELINQUENCY INCLUDED IN THE REPORT ARE AN 8-ITEM MEASURE OF INTERPERSONAL AGGRESSION, A 9-ITEM MEASURE OF THEFT AND VANDALISM, AND A 10-ITEM COMPOSITE MEASURE OF SERIOUSNESS OF DELINQUENCY (CONSISTING OF THREE INTERPERSONAL AGGRESSION ITEMS AND SEVEN THEFT AND VANDALISM ITEMS). RESULTS INDICATE THAT ALL THREE DIMENSIONS OF DELINQUENCY CORRELATED NEGATIVELY WITH EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT--THE HIGHER THE LEVEL OF EDUCATION, THE LOWER THE LEVEL OF DELINQUENCY. HOWEVER, THIS RELATIONSHIP DOES NOT POINT TO EDUCATION AS THE CAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP. THE DIFFERENCES IN DELINQUENCY WERE EVIDENT FROM THE START OF THE STUDY. DURING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL THOSE WHO LATER BECAME HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS WERE INVOLVED IN SERIOUS DELINQUENCY MORE THAN TWICE AS OFTEN AS THOSE WHO BECAME COLLEGE GRADUATES. THOSE WITH A HISTORY OF GREATER DELINQUENCY TENDED TO HAVE LOWER STATUS JOBS AT THE END OF THE STUDY. STUDY FINDINGS SHOW THAT YOUNG MEN WITH HIGH RATES OF DELINQUENCY, CIGARETTE USE, AND ALCOHOL USE ARE LESS LIKELY TO REACH HIGH LEVELS OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT. THUS, ANY EDUCATIONAL IMPACTS ON THESE KINDS OF BEHAVIOR MUST INVOLVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL, PERHAPS PRIOR TO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. THE PATTERN OF FINDINGS IS DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT REGARDING THE EXPERIENCE, OR ENVIRONMENT, OF BEING UNEMPLOYED. INTERPERSONAL AGGRESSION, MARIJUANA CONSUMPTION, AND USE OF OTHER ILLICIT DRUGS WERE ALL FAR ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE UNEMPLOYED. THE YOUNG MEN UNEMPLOYED IN 1974 REPORTED FULLY TWICE AS MUCH INTERPERSONAL AGGRESSION AND ILLICIT USE OF SUCH DRUGS AS AMPHETAMINES, BARBITURATES, AND HALLUCINOGENS AS DID THOSE WHO WERE EMPLOYED. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT MARRIAGE MAY TEND TO REDUCE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND DRUG USE. GRAPHS AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED AND REFERENCE NOTES ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)