Empirical Study of the Relations Between Drug Abuse and Delinquency Among Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 153196
• Journal: British Journal of Criminology Volume: 34 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1994) Pages: 459-478
• Author(s): J M Otero-Lopez; A Luengo-Martin; L Miron-Redondo; M T Carrillo-de-la-Pena; E Romero-Trinanes
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Self-report questionnaire data from 2,022 male students aged 14-18 in public schools in Spain in 1991 formed the basis of an analyses of the relationship between drug abuse and juvenile delinquency.

Abstract

The research focused on three hypotheses: (1) drug abuse causes delinquency; (2) delinquency causes drug abuse; and (3) no causal relationship exists between drug abuse and delinquency, and other variables are responsible for the statistical relationship. The data were analyzed by means of frequency, correlation, and regression analyses. Results supported the third hypothesis and confirmed the existence of a group of variables (family, peer, and personality) that influence both drug abuse and delinquent behavior. Findings suggest the need for future research to abandon investigation of causal relationships between drug abuse and delinquency and concentrate instead on identifying the etiological and psychosocial variables affecting both drug abuse and juvenile delinquency. Results also suggest that institutional action against drug abuse and delinquency should be directed not only at the individual but also at environmental factors. Tables and 90 references