Drug_Us_and_Delinquency

Drug Use and Delinquency Response Irene Miller CJS 240 May 24, 2012 Helen Livingston, PhD Drug Use and Delinquency Response According to the articles that I looked at the main reasons for juvenile drug use is to get intoxicated, boredom, reduce stress, and peer pressure. Things have not changed since my day we just did not have this many researchers looking into our lives. The drugs of choice is Marijuana, methamphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, and alcohol. Many youths with drug problems come from homes where the family structure is in disarray, single parents, divorcing parents, or inattentive parents. (“Family Transitions and later Delinquency and Drug Use,” 2009) Peer relations also seem to have a huge impact on how drugs become imbedded in to the youth culture. Pressure in school and social environment adds to the stress that the youth feels, and will lead them to look for stress relief either in drugs or alcohol which is considered a gateway to using drugs. Depression is another area the researchers are explored today because the high use of methamphetamines, and ecstasy which elevates the emotion level in many users to a feeling of happiness and euphoria this in turn may lead to long term neurological damage.  (Boys, Marsden, & Strang, 2001) The relationship between drug use and delinquency comes when the youth starts to need the drug, and has no way to pay for it so they start to steal from their parents and friends and sell their positions. When the youth reaches the addiction stage; it seems to escalates in a downward spiral to staying out late, running the street with the crowd that uses, and has the drugs. To getting in to issues at home and running away, and resulting in possible robbery and burglary to get the money for their addiction. When juveniles use drugs their self-control is impaired so they tend to use more of the drugs to continue the high they enjoy, and overdose may occur. Desmond, Bruce, & Stacer, 2012) References: Family Transitions and later Delinquency and Drug Use. (2009, Mar). Journal of Youth & Adolescence, vol 38, issue (3), p466-480. doi:SocINDEX with Full Text. Boys, A., Marsden, J., & Strang, J. (2001, Aug). Understanding reasons for drug use amongst young people: a fictional perspective. Health Education Research, 16(4), 457. ProQuest Central. Desmond, S. A., Bruce, A. S., & Stacer, M. J. (2012, Spring). Self-Control, Opportunity, and Substance use. Deviant Behavior, 33(6), 425. ProQuest Central.