NCJ Number
221380
Journal
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 83-109
Date Published
2007
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This study of 278 justice-involved juveniles focused on changes in cocaine use over time; the effects of sociodemographic characteristics on cocaine use over time; and the effects of various types of family problems, deviant peer associations, physical abuse, sexual victimization, and emotional/psychological functioning on cocaine use over time.
Abstract
The study found that patterns of cocaine use changed little during adolescence and early adulthood for many of these justice-involved individuals. Their cocaine use was related to their involvement with deviant peers. Youth who reported high levels of cocaine use were more likely to have friends who used drugs and who had contact with the justice system compared with youths with lower levels of cocaine use. Further, the youths had family members who also had some degree of involvement with the justice system. These findings suggest that interventions designed to reduce cocaine use among many justice-involved youth should involve a multipronged focus on countering the influence of deviant peers and family members. Study data were obtained from a sample of 278 youth involved in the Youth Support Project (YSP), an innovative intervention program for youth involved in the justice system in Hillsborough County, FL. The youth completed at least one of three followup interviews. Interviews addressed family-member alcohol abuse, other drug abuse, mental health problems, and criminal behavior. Interviews also focused on friends' substance use and involvement with the criminal justice system. 5 tables, 3 figures, 64 references, and appended results of factor analyses of the family and friends questions as well as a description of the hair testing of the youth for drug use