Patterns of Criminal Activity, Use of Alcohol and Cocaine Derivatives by Multi-Ethnic Serious Delinquent Youth: Implications

• NCJ Number: 137911
• Author(s): M R De La Rosa; F I Soriano
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 45 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: To be included in: Substance Abuse and Gang Violence, Richard C. Cervantes, ed. Sage Publications

Annotation

Descriptive data are reported for the use of cocaine and involvement in criminal activities of a nonprobability sample of 198 African American, 193 Anglo American, and 100 Hispanic American male and female delinquent in Miami/Dade County, Florida.

Abstract

A majority of this sample (73.5 percent) of 491 delinquent youth participated in major felonies, but particularly in petty property crimes such as shoplifting (95.8 percent), and used cocaine powder and crack on a regular basis (76.8 percent). Hispanic males had higher rates of use and preference for cocaine powder and crack and a substantially lower percent had ever sought drug or alcohol abuse treatment. The level of participation in serious felony crimes, such as robberies, and the use of lethal weapons, such as handguns, by these youth was particularly disturbing. These characteristics, together with the prominent use of serious drugs, increase the likelihood of participating in violence leading to serious injuries or homicides. 46 references