Drug Use and its Effect on Juvenile Delinquency

Outline 

Thesis Statement: Drug use and abuse are among the chief reasons behind the burgeoning nature of juvenile delinquency whose impact includes but not limited to increase in violent crimes, increasing young delinquency cases, increasing gang affiliation, and high recidivism rates.

Effects of Drugs on Juvenile Delinquency

Introduction

Background on Juvenile delinquency, including definition and causes.

Laws and regulations: Federal Juvenile Justice Act (Alexander, 1999).

The objective of the paper.

Increase in serious or violent crimes such as rape and murder (Sharma, Sharma, & Barkataki, 2016).

Need to reduce the availability of the drugs

Need to curb existing crises such as the opioid crisis that contributes to the general adolescent indulgence in drug use.

Need for adequate parental supervision

Increased young delinquency as age increases the use of more hardened drugs (Kraus, 1981).

Resulting from peer pressure

Resulting from child abuse and neglect

Resulting from a pathway of bullying and aggression from an early age, such as 11 or twelve years.

An increase in gang affiliation, which exacerbates juvenile delinquency and organized crimes (Esbensen & Huizinga, 1993).

Need to comprehend the prevalence and demographic composition of existing gangs.

Need to eradicate and manage existing gangs to discourage future association

Need for early education regarding the dangers and impacts of juvenile delinquency.

Increased incarceration rates among juveniles for drug or criminal offenses or both

Youths are becoming bolder with their drug use and criminal activities

Ignorance of both medical and social adverse effects of drug use, which increases delinquency among juveniles (Malhotra, 2007).

High recidivism rates among juvenile offenders

The media and passive nature of society, such as legalization of marijuana (a hard drug) contribute to the recidivism.

Returning to the old circle of friends and peers culminating in similar patterns of destructive behavior.

Conclusion

Recapping the paper by highlighting the fundamental upshots of the discussion.

References

Alexander Jr, R. (1999). Federal Juvenile Justice Act.  Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services ,  14 (1), 63-71. https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=179964 

Esbensen, F. A., & Huizinga, D. (1993). Gangs, drugs, and delinquency in a survey of urban youth.  Criminology ,  31 (4), 565-589. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.1993.tb01142.x 

Kraus, J. (1981). Juvenile drug abuse and delinquency: Some differential associations.  The British Journal of Psychiatry ,  139 (5), 422-430. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.139.5.422 

Malhotra, C., Sharma, N., Saxena, R., & Ingle, G. K. (2007). Drug use among juveniles in conflict with the law.  The Indian Journal of Pediatrics ,  74 (4), 353-356. http://medind.nic.in/icb/t07/i4/icbt07i4p353.pdf 

Sharma, S., Sharma, G., & Barkataki, B. (2016). Substance use and criminality among juveniles-under-inquiry in New Delhi.  Indian journal of Psychiatry ,  58 (2), 178. Doi:  10.4103/0019-5545.183791