NCJ Number
196625
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 37-61
Date Published
2002
Length
25 pages
Annotation
In this longitudinal study, high-risk youths were interviewed to assess their participation in drug use, drug sales, and index crimes.
Abstract
This longitudinal study focused on interviews with 164 arrested youths, processed at a juvenile assessment center, over a 4-year period. Assessing these high-risk youths in terms of their participation in drug use, drug sales, and index crimes was the central feature of this research. Following an introduction to youth drug problems, the authors present a structural equation model associating alcohol and other drugs usage, sales, and index offenses. Funded by the Youth Support Project, the researchers interviewed 164 youths, initially, and conducted 1 year and 2 year follow-up interviews. Most of the study’s participants were males and averaged 15 years old at the time of the initial interview. Thirty-nine percent of the youths were African-American and 30 percent were Latino. Interview question data concerning self-reported alcohol and other drugs usage, sales, and other self-reported delinquent behavior were analyzed using the AMOS (Analysis of Movement Structures) 4.0 software program. In testing their structural equation model, the researchers concluded that hypothesized relationships between youths’ participation in drug sales, use, and index crimes was supported by the data from interviews. The authors argue that this study suggests the importance of early intervention programs to identify and help remediate precursors to delinquent behavior. Tables, figures, references