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Drug use and the effects on Juvenile Delinquency
Drug use and the Effects on Juvenile Delinquency
Name
Institution
Outline
Executive Summary
Introduction
Trends
Applications
Predictions, Assumptions and Policy Issues
ConclusionsReference List
Drug use and the effects on Juvenile Delinquency
Executive Summary
Drug abuse and addiction is a social problem that affects the community heavily. It is costly to treat and control the sale of illegal drugs. It has become a significant health problem. Drug abuse leads to the creation of unstable society members who are prone to violence. A number of measures have been implemented to help solve the problem. These measures include tight laws on sale of drugs, rehabilitation centers and other forms of science-based treatments. Interestingly, there is increasing the number of adolescents and youths that are getting addicted in the use of drugs and ultimately abusing them. There are several reasons that are identified in this paper that lead to this tender age of individuals to get involved in drug and substance abuse. The trends that are involved in this area are covered, and they incorporate racial disparity, drug use and rate and popularity of drugs. In the verge of combatting the menace of drug and substance abuse, it has been established that there is a direct relation between drug use and the effects on juvenile delinquency. Additionally, the paper will cover the areas of applications of the drug use and effects on Juvenile delinquency. Finally, assumptions, recommendations and policy issues are brought out.
Introduction
There is a direct connection between drug abuse and delinquency. Some of the consequences that arise from the juvenile justice system include arrest, adjudication and intervention for several youths that are betrothed in drug abuse and use of alcohol (Gary, Linda & Karen, 2004). One cannot clearly claim that the abuse of drugs results in delinquent behaviors or that delinquency causes drug abuse though there is a strong correlation between the two. The correlation and the intertwinement of delinquency and drug abuse be seen to bring about school and family problems mostly individuals engaging in negative activities. Matthew 7:17 reiterates that illicit drugs are condemned and not good for the body and associates bad habits and happenings to them. Some of the known negativities include lack of social restraint in the neighborhood, physical and sexual abuses. Possession of the drugs, as well as the use of the drugs, is illegal for all youths given the several side effects that are seen (Paddock, 2005). However, there is a strong correlation between alcohol use and drug abuse and delinquent behavior seen in juveniles. The abuse of drugs is linked with both violent and income-generating crimes by youths. Owing to this there is an increase in fear among members of a community or residents that often demand the juvenile services and criminal justice services. Consequently, the resources available have been stretched (Holloway, Bennett & David, 2005). Some of the negativities that are linked with the drug abuse among juveniles include gang, drug trafficking, prostitutions, increased incidents of homicides among the youths.
Trends
There have been some trends among the youths observed in the use of drugs and their effects on juvenile delinquency. In this study, the paper dissects the trends in the line of rate and popularity of drug usage; racial disparity and drug abuse results observed over time (Homel, 2004). An overview of history of the correlation between drug use and their effects on juvenile delinquency is given to provide an in-depth understanding of the behavior.
Rate and Popularity of Drugs
The rate and popularity of drugs use in the juveniles are monitored by some major surveys like the Monitoring and Future study which collects data of the youths that are between 8th to 12th grade and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collecting data from juveniles that are aged 12 to 18. The three most common drugs among the youth are alcohol, tobacco and marijuana, and they often refer them to as soft drugs (Homel, 2004). Last year, 20% of the youths in US were estimated to have used alcohol though the rates of the use of the drugs differed along the demographic lines (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2014). The rates and popularity of usage of the drugs seemingly is seen to grow as youths approach adolescence. In several instances, the soft drugs like alcohol and tobacco are the first drugs to be introduced followed by marijuana that then ushers in the use of hard drugs at older ages. Some of the reasons behind the abuse of the drugs are identified to lead to these statistics include peer pressure, influence of neighborhood, and family history.
Racial Disparity
There is very big racial disparity witnessed as a result of the juveniles arrested and the cases that are processed for the violations of drug laws. The largest disparity is seen between Caucasian and African American youth. In most cases, the processing of cases of African American youths is fast and at higher rates as compared to Caucasian even though those arrested for violating drug laws among Caucasians are 16 to 17 year old males. In several instances, Caucasian youths are less likely to have their drugs cases petitioned. Consequently, the Caucasians youths are often not detained incarcerated, and their cases are usually referred to adult court. In 2002, for instance, data from FBI indicates that 65% of African American juvenile drug cases were petitioned in comparison to that of Caucasian, which represented juvenile drug cases (Marlowe, 2010). In the same year, the proportion of African American youths that were detained for drug offences was more than double that of Caucasian youth and approximately twice that of other races. The conviction of American African youths was at 33%, the Caucasian stood at 16% while the other races convicted represented 17% (Gary, Linda & Karen, 2004).
Drugs Abuse Results
The trends of drug abuse results are worrying at least according to the trends that have been defined. According to the results of Home Office Research in US, the juveniles arrested were found to have 11% of the 16 to 20-year olds tested positive for opiates and 5% of this age bracket tested for cocaine. A greater number, approximately 65% of this age population had used cannabis while 20% had the greater feeling of using it (National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2014). 10% of this age group had used cocaine and averagely 6% had used heroin. Among the serious offenders that were convicted last year, 2013, aged between 12 and 17, 38% were males and 20% females and had used the drugs for more than a year. Thus, among the offenders it is established that crack cocaine and heroin are the most abused drugs. Most cases, the offenders, would commit crimes to get money for alcohol or drugs (Gary, Linda & Karen, 2004).
Applications
A study of drug use and effects on juvenile has been applied widely in daily life, and there are numerous applications in practical settings. These applications are as a result of the consequences and lessons learnt in the field and the way to improve the overall field dealing with drug use and delinquency (Homel, 2004). Some of the applications have been made in the area of family in parenting and mentoring of youths, treatment of child abuse and domestic violence and the education systems.
Family Services- Parent Support and Mentoring
According to the studies carried out, living with parents is crucial in the overall growth of the young ones and the long run might help shape the behaviors of individuals and thus curb some of the negativities that might be adopted. Some of these negativities include drug use and their effects on Juvenile delinquency (Sallybanks and Wendy, 2003). It has been established that daily drug use and ploy drug use is common among youths that are not living with their parents. The youths who had left their homes are mainly poly-drug users with their daily rates being slightly higher than those who are still at home (Paddock, 2005). Thus, those who left home had higher rates of drug abuse thus their offending levels could be related with their use of drugs. Therefore, the risk factors that made the juveniles leave home are some main contributors to their substance use and consequently delinquency.
Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Treatment
A study of drug use and its effects on juvenile delinquency are applied in understanding the reasons for child abuse and exposes some vice in society such as domestic violence. To this effect, an individual can then concentrate on the vice and treat them. According to the bible, it is captured in 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 that illicit drugs destroy the body and are highly condemned.
From time immemorial, there has been a strong connection between juvenile delinquency and abuse and neglected of children in their early years. The study of juvenile delinquency unearths how abusive backgrounds of affected individuals might have occurred (Paddock, 2005). Owing to the memories and psychological impacts that individuals suffer from after neglect, there resort to using of drugs and in most cases end up abusing them (Holloway, Bennett & David, 2005). The abuse arises when the use of the drugs become habitual, and people resort to seeking illegal means of funding their habits and thus ending up in with the wayward behaviors.
At times, the neglect of these individuals might have occurred as a result of the adolescents nurturing the violent behaviors that they see at home (Heck, 2006). Additionally, with low supervision of the young people there are high chances of an increase in delinquent behavior. Those who are known to have neglected or abused the youths included parents or guardians, siblings and strangers. However, parents are top in the list for having neglected the youths at some time and the same time responsible for the majority of violent and emotional abuses (Holloway, Bennett & David, 2005).
Education systems
With the increasing effects of drug use by adolescents, it is with no doubt that it would be a key area of study in our education systems. The school curricula and activities have incorporated different ways and means to address the effects of drug use on juvenile delinquency. The experiences and studies that the adolescents acquire have lasting effects on life of individuals. Through the education system, we get to learn some of the antisocial behaviors that might lead to juvenile delinquency. For instance, individuals who are take part in sporting activities are not commonly associated with the antisocial behaviors. The risk factors of the drug use and the effects on juvenile delinquency can be established and includes failures in the academic circle and low level of education, non-commitment to school, early school drop-out and frequent changing of schools. Early school drop-out gives the child time to spend alone thus they go unsupervised. At such times, the individuals become bored, and they are bound to peer-pressure which ultimately might lead them to criminal life and substance abuse (Marlowe, 2010). The reasons behind the school dropouts included truancy, suspension, or expulsion. Other contributing factors that are identified include unstable family life, victimization by classmates and conduct disorders (US Department of Justice, 2001). Thus, the schooling history of individuals and their ability to get enlightened on issues of drug use affected their juvenile delinquency.
Assumptions, Recommendations and Policy
This section provides various assumptions, recommendations and policy issues concerning drug use and effects on juvenile delinquency. In this section, information from history and applications are integrated and in doing so, assumptions about the current and future state of juvenile justice is explored. The reason behind the assumptions and recommendations are provided.
Adolescent offenders demonstrate high rates of substance utilization and substance utilization disorders, which are related both with kept culpable and a more extensive scope of negative conclusions (Gary, Linda & Karen, 2004). Despite the fact that the justice framework ordinarily screens adolescent offenders for substance use disorders, new strategies are required to expand the utilization of institutionalized screening routines and to guarantee the screening happens early enough the whole time to permit adolescents to be occupied out of the justice framework into group based projects when suitable. Drug courts are one guaranteeing model, yet they ought to make more prominent utilization of observationally accepted mediations and behavior take after ups to measure longer-term results (Heck, 2006).
In spite of the fact that the justice framework is a real wellspring of treatment referral for adolescent offenders, the unmet requirement for treatment stays considerable. To designate rare assets most adequately, new approaches must expand the accessibility of astounding, proof based treatment focused at the subgroup of adolescent offenders with substance utilization disorders (Marlowe, 2010). The guaranteeing yet blended achievement of current treatment methodologies highlights a few difficulties, including the requirement for better techniques for captivating adolescents and their families in treatment, the need to better address natural danger components and comorbid conditions, and the absence of information concerning social and sex customized mediations (Sallybanks and Wendy, 2003).
More research in these zones is vital before it is conceivable to backer any one specific treatment approach. For the present, strategy ought to empower more extensive utilization of exactly accepted treatments and of “best practices” inside existing projects (Gary, Linda & Karen, 2004). Besides, considerable backslide rates point to a more prominent requirement for aftercare administrations and to the need to oversee substance use disorders as unending disorders described by backslide and reduction (Homel, 2004). The lack of aftercare administrations and the absence of administration coordination point to the need to create administration framework displays that better integrate and direction various administrations for adolescent offenders, especially group based methodologies. In this way, strategy ought to backing the reconciliation, congruity, and financing of these administrations for energetic offenders both amid and after their justice framework inclusion.
Preventive variables that can diminish the danger for drug utilization incorporate connection to social others; responsibility to objectives and dreams; and a faith in and regard for laws and power (Heck, 2006). The vocation of youth drug prevention programs and the implementation of drug laws are only two significant lines of move that are made to prevent adolescent drug utilization. Youth drug prevention projects are normally school-based and use essential prevention strategies intended to prevent adolescent drug launch (Sallybanks and Wendy, 2003). Drug prevention programs that have been demonstrated to have the most guarantee for preventing or postponing drug utilization incorporate those established on the social impact model.
Conclusion
There have been some trends among the youths observed in the use of drugs and their effects on juvenile delinquency. The emerging trends in the area have been covered, and they include the results noted from drug abuse, racial disparity and the rates of drug use. The history of the correlation between drug use and their effects on juvenile delinquency has provided and in-depth understanding of the youth behavior. Additionally, the paper explores the application of drug use and the effects on juvenile, and some of the areas identified include the use in education systems, treatment of child abuse and domestic violence and parenting. The paper winds by providing assumptions, recommendations and policy issues surrounding the use of drugs and the effects on juvenile delinquency where information from history and applications are integrated. The integration then forms a basis for assumptions about the current and future state of juvenile justice.
HYPERLINK “http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov”
HYPERLINK “http://www.ndci.org/publications/publication-resources/monograph-series”
HYPERLINK “http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr2605.pdf”
HYPERLINK “http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi287.pdf”
HYPERLINK “http://www.ndci.org/research”
HYPERLINK “http://archives.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/magnitude/”
HYPERLINK “http://www.drugabuse.gov/strc/strcindex.html”
HYPERLINK “http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/”
HYPERLINK “http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/1843/ACT_juv_justice_web.pdf.”
HYPERLINK “https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200117.pdf”
Family values
Family values
Family values
Author
Institution
Introduction
The importance of values in the growth and development of children cannot be gainsaid. This is especially having in mind that children are exposed to various sources of influence in the contemporary human society, ranging from the media to the society at large. It is worth noting that family values seem to have been relegated to the periphery in the contemporary human society. This paper aims at presenting some academic works that have examined the place of family values in the growth and development of parents.
Grusec, J.E & Kuczynski, L. (1997). Parenting and children’s internalization of values: a handbook of contemporary theory. New York: Wiley
This all-inclusive handbook comes up with a detailed analysis of the complexities pertaining to the parental role in the moral development of children. It is worth noting that the phrase “family values” has become quite popular in the recent times especially in the political arena. As much as many people agree that parents impact heavily in the social and moral development of children, it is often a herculean task to pin down the mechanisms through which these values are acquired. It has been commonly held that, parents who combine firmness with consideration for the kid’s point of view are more effective than their counterparts who are strict disciplinarians. It is imperative that influences from the immediate community, culture, the relationship between the parent and the child, not to mention the kid’s own agency are considered to allow for an optimum parenting strategy. Grusec and Kuczynski use the book to offer a clear view of the socialization approach, as well as review the recent developments in research and theory pertaining to child development.
This book starts off with a historical outline of philosophies pertaining to child-rearing and parental influence. This outline provides the foundation for the examination that follows. The book then goes on to explore the developmental context pertaining to parenting strategies in young children, adolescents and toddlers.
The writers then concentrate on the ways in which parenting strategies affect transmission of values. They present and incorporate varied theoretical formulations so as to show how the strategies impact on value transmission. In addition, it covers parental influence in biological and social contexts.
Juul, J. (2001). Your Competent Child: Toward New Basic Values for the Family. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
This book presents a persuasive and radical approach to family and parental dynamics. Juul uses examples from families in numerous countries to challenge parents to view the years, that they spend with their kids, as an electrifying time for development and growth for the entire family.
In this book, Juul argues that present day’s families are at a crossroad relating to family values to which they should allow their kids to identify. The disparaging values that used to govern the conventional, hierarchical and authoritarian families have been largely modified. Instead, parents have the choice of embracing an entirely new collection of values that are founded on the assumption that families have to be built on reciprocity and dignity between children and parents, rather than on democratic tyranny or authoritarian force. Juul argues that children have the emotional competence in that they are always truthful as to how one feels. In essence, he argues that parents should not only listen to but also learn from the truthful feedback that their children give them. Jull posits that when individuals are dissatisfied or unhappy with a certain situation or issue in the family, it is highly likely that the dissatisfaction results from their inability to convert their feelings of love into loving behavior. In essence, it is imperative that individuals are concerned more about their emotional honesty than what they view as necessities, an aspect that Juul christens “personal honesty”.
Damon, W (1990). Moral Child: Nurturing Children’s Natural Moral Growth. New York: Simon and Schuster
William Damon was a professor of education at Brown university. In this book, he provides the first overview of the nurturance and evolution of kids’ behavior and moral understanding from their infancy through adolescence both in school and at home. Damon immerses into real life experiences of children to explain values such as equality and empathy, and progresses to the formation of value hierarchies that are more sophisticated. These values are found naturally in kids.
In this book, which was written for a lay audience of teachers and parents, William Damon sketches out the children’s moral development, all of which occurs within the social crucible of childhood, family, schools and adolescent friends. Rather than concentrate on naive morals, Damon concentrates of factors that would enhance moral development, as well as those that discourage the same. The discouragers include permissive parenting, being self-centered, authoritarianism and disconnected parenting, while the encouragers are termed as responsive engagement.
Damon offers a clear reasoning on the occurrence of moral development in childhood. He compares contrasts theories that pertain to what he calls “best parenting practices”, and offers an all-inclusive summary of how parents can foster the moral and emotional growth of their children. This book, therefore, provides an excellent outline as to how moral viewpoint of children is shaped by their own experiences in developing reciprocity and empathy, sharing, as well as understanding the expectations of the society.
Folbre, N. (2008). Valuing Children: Rethinking the Economics of the Family. New York: Harvard University Press
The role of finances or material wealth in anybody’s life can never be gainsaid. This is especially when one takes into consideration the fact that wealth is thought to add to or enhance the quality of an individual’s life. In essence, it is not surprising that the traditional economists assume that parents get children just to have the pleasure of their company. This is the assumption that Nancy Folbre seeks to challenge in this book. Folbre states that children are taxpayers and workers of the next generation, in which case investing in them would bring a considerable payback to other stakeholder in the economy. However, parents especially mothers pay a large amount of the costs with the high childbearing price pushing many families towards poverty. Of course, this may have adverse consequences on the children themselves. Not only do parents spend money but also they invest their time on children. Yet the value of this time is mostly ignored when estimating costs of child rearing. In this book, Folbre comes up with an incredibly high but entirely convincing and credible estimate as to the value of parental time for every child. This estimate is made by posing the question as to the cost of purchasing a substitute that is comparable to the value of parental time. Folbre also lays emphasis on the need for enhanced public expenditure accounting on children over their life cycle. She describes the importance of rethinking the logic and structure of the welfare state, while arguing that an entirely new institutional structure would promote a more sustainable, efficient and cooperative commitment to the future generations.
Drug use among our youth and teens is a growing problem, and is considered one of the toughest problems that families face to
Drugs
Drug use among our youth and teens is a growing problem, and is considered one of the toughest problems that families face today (ONDCP 2003). The Monitoring the Future Survey shows that in 2002 fifty-three percent of all 12th graders, 44.6 percent of 10th graders, and 24.5 percent of 8th graders have used drugs at least once in their lifetime. Drugs have negative consequences on people of all ages, but it seems to have the most harmful impact on kids and teenagers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s nationwide survey, 42.4 percent of high school students have used marijuana during their lifetime. Younger people tend to be more inclined to use drugs, mostly between the ages of 12 and 25 (NHSDA). Hispanics have the highest rate of drug use among highschoolers, most of them male. Although female drug users are more likely to become addicts and abusers and suffer the effects sooner than males, the general rate of users is lower (CDC 2003). White highschoolers have the second highest rate of drug use followed by blacks. Children and teenagers who are neglected at home and have a lack of discipline have more tendency to get into drug use because nobody is there to tell them not to do it (Linda, Knox, Schacht 2001). Pregnant teens also have a high rate of drug use.
Drug use and abuse leads to emotional, mental, and physical sickness, especially among the younger age groups. All drugs have short term as well as long term effects. Some of the common short term effects are increased heart beat and blood pressure, heart attack, anxiety, and distorted perception of reality. The long term affects of drug use are impaired memory, brain damage, and even death (TeenOutReach 1999). There are many different types of drugs that have varied effects but one thing that all drugs have in common is the deleterious affect on study habits and grades (YRBS 2002). Marijuana, the most common illegal drug among highschoolers, results in memory loss, excessive coughing, chest colds, panic attacks, and lung injuries (ONDCP 2003). Young people who get into drugs are more vulnerable to becoming addicts and will live short lives. Approximately three thousand children begin smoking on a regular basis everyday (NHSDA 1995). Not only does it have a harmful affect on the individual, but it hurts our economy as well. America spends 40 billion dollars annually to fight this “war on drugs” (Wenner 2001).
Drug use conflicts with many of my beliefs and values. Laws were made for us to obey and most drugs are illegal in the United States. Its is also against the law for minors to use drugs even if the drug is legal, such as tobacco. Maintaining good health is extremely important and we should take care of our bodies. Drugs can cause mental and physical health problems and in sever cases, death. Although it is part of some cultures to use drugs for spiritual purposes, most religions discourage drug use and stress obeying the law, not indulging oneself in immoral practices, and taking care of ones body.
From the symbolic functionalist point of view, drug use and abuse is a result of anomie in today’s society and it is also a result from other social problems. Media exhibits a lot of drug use, so many of our teens are exposed to it in their everyday lives. We see it everyday in our schools, neighborhoods, and sometimes even our own homes so it has become normal. Our society has a lack of norms and views drug use as part of life rather than a social problem. Also, home life greatly impacts a child and can influence someone to do drugs. If someone feels isolated and neglected at home, he is more prone to do drugs. Problems at home such as divorce or poverty can also trigger a child to get into drugs. If a child or teenager does not receive enough supervision, there is nobody to tell them that doing drugs is wrong. If a different area in someone’s life makes him depressed, he might resort to drugs to relieve stress or emotional pain.
There are many solutions that can be used to solve this problem. On the primary level, we can put advertisements about drugs in magazines and newspapers and put commercials on television stations on the harmful affects of drugs. This would affect the general public and make everyone aware of what drugs can do to a person. Secondary solutions would be to institute drug awareness programs in elementary, middle, and highschools since the youth are the ones at risk. Programs such as D.A.R.E and G.R.E.A.T. help kids gain knowledge about many types of drugs. If someone is aware of the serious consequences of doing drugs, they are less likely to try it. Another solution would be to have big brother programs and other after school activities for the students to go to. Kids with positive influence in their life are less inclined to get into drugs so spending time with their peers would help greatly. Tertiary programs would be support groups for the youth that could be held after school hours. It helps if they have others that they can talk to who are experiencing the same problems because they won’t feel isolated anymore.
Drug use has been increasing in the past several years, and it is harming our youth. More kids are falling into drugs everyday and it is not only harmful to the individual, but to our society as a whole. This problem has been extremely hard for our nation to deal with, but it can be and needs to be dealt with.
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