NCJ Number
212085
Date Published
October 2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper presents key findings from an Australian study of the criminal and drug-use histories of juveniles in detention centers.
Abstract
This study, which is the final component of a major Australian study, entitled Drug Use Careers of Offenders, involved face-to-face interviews with 371 juveniles (346 males and 25 females), ages 11 through 17, who were sentenced to or remanded to detention in 2004. The juveniles reported significant offending histories, having regularly engaged in between five and seven types of offenses, including violent and property crimes. The majority of the sample reported having used alcohol or cannabis, and half reported amphetamine use. In the 6 months prior to their detention, two-thirds of the juveniles reported using cannabis regularly, and one in five reported regular amphetamine use. The majority did not begin using drugs until after their first offense; however, two-thirds reported being intoxicated (either drunk on alcohol or high on drugs) at the time of committing the offenses for which they were currently in detention. The majority reported that drug use played a role in their lifetime criminal offending. Factors linked to serious offending and drug use were family substance use, childhood parental abuse and neglect, and school problems. More than 90 percent of the sample reported at least one of these problems, and one-third reported all three. These findings indicate the importance of early intervention to target the behaviors and environmental influences linked to delinquent behavior and drug use. 3 figures, 2 tables, and 15 references