Drug Use and Its Effect on Juvenile Delinquency
Drug Use and Its Effect on Juvenile Delinquency
Outline
Introduction
- Juvenile Delinquency is a serious problem that the society and the criminal justice system have to contend with
- Various factors account for juvenile delinquency
- An intricate relationship exist between drug use and drug abuse
- Most juvenile delinquents report drug use patterns or trends
Drug Use and Juvenile Delinquency
- Drug use is a risk factor for juvenile delinquency
- Drug using juveniles resort to crime to fund drug use
- Drugs use is illegal and therefore constitute criminal offense for the juveniles
- Criminal activities are fueled by drug use as witnessed in the urban informal settlements
- Drugs alter the behavior and moods and therefore criminal behavior results from the influence of the drugs among the juveniles
- Drug-using juveniles are stigmatized and labeled as criminals
Conclusion
- Drug and substance use affect juvenile delinquency in a cause-effect manner
- One way to control juvenile delinquency is through controlling drug use among the juveniles as in the juvenile drug courts.
Introduction
Juvenile delinquency is a serious problem that the criminal justice system has to contend with and confront. Various theoretical perspectives and other explanations have been put forward to explain this social and criminal phenomenon. Specifically, drug and substance use has been associated with increased juvenile delinquency. One of the strategies that have been proposed and used to respond to juvenile delinquency has been intervention on drug use. In addition, most of the juvenile delinquents have been found to be drug users. This has led to the position that there is an intricate relationship between drug and substance use and criminal propensities for the juveniles. There are various ways in which drug use correlates with juvenile delinquency. This is in the way that drug use among young people the increases the tendency for juveniles to commit discrete crimes of concern to criminal justice system. Most juvenile delinquents are drug users and drug and substance abuse behavior facilitates criminal behavior.
This paper talks about drug use in the context of juvenile delinquency in the way the former affects the latter.
Drug Use and Juvenile Delinquency
Delinquency within the context of criminal justice system refers to the description of illegal or social/legal behaviors (Hess, Orthomann & Wright, 2012). This would include violations such as violence, burglary/property crimes or sex crimes. Delinquents thus engage in behaviors that are considered wrong. They face criminal justice because as recorded in Genesis 9:6, whoever sheds blood of man by shall his blood be shed. In extreme cases, juveniles commit capital offenses thus not only infringing legal provisions but also going against Biblical teaching that one should not commit murder (Exodus 20:13). There are several explanations that account for delinquency. Although some theoretical perspectives may attribute delinquency to choice, there is overwhelming evidence that environmental and social factors explain this behavior. Drug abuse, for instance, is a factor that is associated with delinquency because of its capacity to facilitate crime, especially among the under-age-juvenile delinquency. Drug use encompasses the consumption of drugs or dependence on drugs and substances that are criminalized (Regoli, Hewitt & DeLisi, 2010). Although drug use is rampant across the demographic structure, young persons are particularly statistics. Further, juveniles who use drugs are more implicated in all types of juvenile crime (NCASA, 2004). Juvenile delinquency is largely influenced by drug abuse since it is through crime that under-age persons get resources to fund drugs and substances. Further, drug abuse illustrates juvenile delinquency in its entirety. It is also through drug use that the persons may perpetrate crimes to others because of the influence. This creates a correlation between the two where drug use acts as the risk factor for juvenile delinquency.
As hinted above, drug use affects juvenile delinquency in cause-effect mechanism. This mechanism is created when delinquency plays the role of sustaining drug use. In such event juveniles would be engaging in criminal activities in order to get funds to keep drug use afloat (Siegel & Welsh, 2011). The implication here is that in order to sustain drug consumption, juveniles engage in relevant criminal activities that generate income to buy drugs. Such criminal activities would include burglary, mugging, and other forms of theft. The case being illustrated here is that the reason why juveniles would commit crimes is that they want to fund the drugs
In addition, drug use is itself a crime in the criminal justice system. Thus, when juveniles engage in drug and substance use, they are essentially exhibiting criminal behavior- delinquency (The future of Children, n.d). The existence of juvenile drug courts for adolescents demonstrates the view that drug use among this age group culminates to legal infringement hence juvenile delinquency (Hickert, Becker, Prospero & Moleni, 2011). The courts provide the delinquents with a chance to change as hinted in Luke 13:3 “no, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” This cause-effect of drug use and juvenile delinquency respectively is demonstrated by the argument that reduction in substance use leads to reduction in crime. This is because drug use a criminal activity in nature. It is also conceivable that when programs relating to reduction of drugs among the adolescents are implemented, crimes committed by juveniles become fewer because other factors such as aggression are eliminated. The bottom line, however, is that reduction of drug use among the youth leads to reduction in overall criminal record (Crowe & US, 1998). Further, drug and substance abuse is connected to increasingly higher rates of re-offending and long contact with the criminal justice system- the drug-crime cycle. Extreme substance and drug use is associated with higher rates of offending (Kim, 2008). In this case, recidivism rates for juveniles who are drug users’ increases and so is the likelihood of deeper association with the criminal justice system
Substance-abusing adolescents often face labeling and stigmatization from the society. Their involvement in drugs earns them a label such as rebellious or criminal (Roberts & Springer, 2007). Such persons are alienated and subjected to social stigma as they are considered errant. According to labeling perspective, when persons are labeled as criminals, they are likely to embrace that identity (Roberts & Springer, 2007). This explains how drug use among the juveniles affects delinquency. In addition, the juveniles who are drug users mostly discontinue with participation in social activities and school. They have few friends, are stigmatized and therefore recourse to criminal activities as compensation is quite inevitable. The youths are also more likely to be in company of peers whose influence criminal activities. In 1st Timothy 5:8, such people are unbelievers hence deny even own faith. A salient example in this case is when juveniles meet in specific places for drug use. It is in these places that they influence each other and arrange for criminal activities. The drug dens and deals are the major channels through which criminal activities are arranged. Gangs are organized in drug patterns including drug trafficking. It is easy to repeat crime (recidivism) in this case as cited in Genesis 6:5 that the thought of wicked is only evil continually.
Drug use is also associated with increased propensities to commit crimes. Under the influence of drugs, juveniles commit variety of crimes and the involvement is attributable to the effect of drugs. Such effects would include aggression and violence. Drug use for the youth facilitates anti-social behavior. Sexual offenses provide good example of juvenile crimes that reflect the influence of drugs. Also, drug using juveniles are more likely to engage in violence or be the victim of violence from peers.
Criminological studies have shown that adolescents who start using drugs early have prolonged period to remain in drugs even towards adulthood (Shoemaker, 2013). This way, the criminal propensities in adolescence are mapped into the young adulthood. Other studies have shown that most of the adult criminals started the criminal behavior at early age and that drug using tendencies of the adults also have roots in childhood. The implication here is that there is an association between drug use in adolescence and the prolonged attachment or involvement in crime. Further, there is a link between perpetuations of crime into the later stages of life in the context of having adolescence drug use as the platform.
Drug use affects or influences juvenile delinquency in the way that the latter predisposes juveniles to other risk factors for crime (Burfeind & Bartusch, 2011). For example, due to drug abuse, the adolescents may not cope with school as demonstrated by drop out and poor performance. Juveniles using drugs also do not remain intact with the social welfare system and control. Such juveniles are likely to lack good parental control. Lack of these control mechanisms predisposes adolescents to criminal behavior.
Conclusion
There is an intricate relationship between drug use and juvenile delinquency. In the overall juvenile crime record, those who are drug users are overrepresented. In the urban slums for example, drug use is often consistent with high levels of criminal behavior exhibited by the young persons (under-age). Drug and substance use exposes juveniles to risks for engaging in criminal behavior. Criminal behaviors motivated by drug use include trafficking of drugs. It has also been observed in the discussion that drug use by juveniles in itself is a legal infraction hence juvenile delinquency. Young offenders who are drug users are likely to use drugs in order to cope with dynamics involved in crime. Also, in order to fund drug behavior, juveniles engage in crime to obtain income for buying drugs. Young persons who are drug abusers also tend to offend and engage in activities that constitute crime because of influence of the drugs. Young drug abusers are also likely to repeat crimes (recidivism) in drug-crime cycle.
References
Top of Form
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