NCJ Number
144285
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1992) Pages: 422- 443
Date Published
1992
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The correlation between drug use and criminal behavior is analyzed using a preliminary 1991 data file from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA).
Abstract
The survey provides estimates of drug use prevalence among three age groups: 12- to 17-year-olds, 18- to 25-year-olds, and adults above the age of 25. The highest rates of illicit drug abuse and alcohol abuse are found among young adults, but older adults have higher rates of licit drug use. Trend analysis shows that illicit drug and alcohol use peaked in 1979, although marijuana and cocaine use in older adults peaked in the early 1980's. Criminal victimization shows a trend similar to the trend in drug use among young adults. While this parallel trend may be coincidental, it is probably related to the maturation of the baby-boom generation. The findings of these analyses indicates that drug use in general, and cocaine use in particular, are the most important correlates of being arrested for property and violent crimes. While age is a strong correlates of engaging in criminal activity, drug use is the stronger correlate of actually being booked for an offense. The robustness of the drug use-criminal behavior relationship was evident even among the general population, based on those who reported the activity at least once in the past year. Drug use and criminal behavior are both activities that decline with age. Risk factors for violent crime were identified as dropout status and being black, while poverty status is a risk factor for property crime. 7 tables, 2 figures, and 39 references