AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN DRUG ABUSE AND DELINQUENCY AMONG ADOLESCENTS

• Published in: British journal of criminology Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 459 - 478
• Main Authors: OTERO-LOPEZ, JOSE MANUEL, LUENGO-MARTIN, ANGELES, MIRON-REDONDO, LOURDES, CARRILLO-DE-LA-PEñA, MARIA TERESA, ROMERO-TRIñANES, ESTRELLA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Oxford University Press 01-10-1994; Stevens; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adolescent boys; Adolescents; Alcohol drinking; Cannabis; Criminal sociology. Police. Delinquency. Deviance. Suicide; Delinquency; Delinquent behavior; Deviance; Drug Abuse; Drug abuse and crime; Drugs and youth; Factors; Family Relations; Hallucinogens; Heroin; Illicit drugs; Juvenile Delinquency; Larceny; Males; Peer pressure; Sensation seeking; Social aspects; Social Factors; Social research; Sociology; Sociology of law and criminology; Spain; Teenagers; Spain; Correlation Analysis; Drugs; Juvenile Delinquency; Regression Analysis; Correlation; Criminality; Delinquency; Drug Addicts; Youth; Statistical Data
• ISSN: 0007-0955; 1464-3529
• DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjc.a048447

This paper further explores the drug–delinquency relationship. Three hypotheses present in the literature are examined: (1) drug abuse causes delinquency; (2) delinquency causes drug abuse; and (3) there is no causal relationship between drug abuse and delinquency, and other variables are responsible for the statistical relationship. The sample of this study comprised 2,022 male students between 14 and 18 years of age. The results of the statistical analyses performed (frequencies, correlation, and regression) support the third hypothesis and confirm the existence of a group of variables (family, peer, and personality) that influence both drug abuse and delinquent behaviour.