NCJ Number
154384
Journal
American Journal of Alcohol Abuse Volume: 7 Issue: 3 and 4 Dated: (1980) Pages: 305-322
Date Published
1980
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the relationship between specific drug use or abuse and the number of crimes against persons by male delinquents between 12 and 18 years old.
Abstract
A total of 112 delinquent males who had been committed to a training school were interviewed to determine drug use or drug abuse status according to criteria set forth in DSM III. Crimes that were officially recorded were classified as person offenses or property offenses, and the number of offenses were determined from the juvenile record. Drug scores were given subjects for each of 13 drug categories according to the following scale: 0, no use of drug; 1 to 4, varying use frequencies increasing in stepwise fashion but not reaching abuse proportions; and 5, use greater than 8 days per month and abuse as defined in DSM III. Subject's number of crimes against persons were correlated with subject's drug scores for each of 13 drug categories. Five drugs had significantly positive correlations: phencyclidine, barbiturates, cocaine, valium, and amphetamines. Scores for alcohol, LSD, mescaline, volatile substances, codeine, marijuana, heroin, and morphine did not correlate significantly with the number of person offenses in the person offender group. Mean drug scores for 13 drug categories of all subjects who were violent person offenders were compared with drug scores of subjects who were property offenders only. The tests for independent means revealed that drug scores were significantly higher in the person offending group for five drugs: marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and LSD. A high drug score for marijuana was the most predictive of all drug scores for membership in the person offending group. 7 tables and 13 references