Rolando, Sara and Asmussen Frank, Vibeke and Duke, Karen and Kahlert, Rahel and Pisarska, Agnieszka and Graf, Niels and Beccaria, Franca (2021) ‘I like money, I like many things’. The relationship between drugs and crime from the perspective of young people in contact with criminal justice systems. Drugs: Education Prevention and Policy, 28, (1), pp. 7-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2020.1754339.
External website: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687...
Based on research undertaken as part of the EU funded EPPIC project, this paper aims to update and elaborate on the relationship between drug use and offending behaviours by exploring variations within a cross-national sample of drug-experienced young people in touch with criminal justice systems. Adopting a trajectory-based approach, interviews were undertaken with 198 young people aged 15–25 in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and UK). Data were analysed by applying the Bennett and Holloway categorization of the drugs-crime link, with a focus on the concept of social exclusion as developed by Seddon.
Three main types of mechanisms (economic, pharmaceutical, and lifestyles) are used to interpret the data, showing how the relationship between drugs and offending can vary according to type of substances and over time. Furthermore, it can be associated with very different degrees of social exclusion and needs. The results suggest that while economic inequalities still play key roles in explaining drug use and offending, both behaviours can originate from a state of relative deprivation, resulting from the contradictions inherent in ‘bulimic societies’ that raise aspirations and desires while providing young people scarce opportunities for self-realisation and social recognition.
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Risk and protective factors > Risk factors
L Social psychology and related concepts > Life circumstances > Financial (money) difficulties / debt
L Social psychology and related concepts > Social inclusion and exclusion
MA-ML Social science, culture and community > Social condition > Poverty / deprivation
MM-MO Crime and law > Organised crime
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime > Substance related crime > Crime associated with substance production and distribution
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime and violence > Crime against persons (assault / abuse)
MM-MO Crime and law > Criminality > Youth (juvenile) offending
MM-MO Crime and law > Crime deterrence
MM-MO Crime and law > Criminal penalty / sentence > Community service > Probation or parole
MM-MO Crime and law > Justice and enforcement system
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Economic policy
VA Geographic area > Europe > Italy
VA Geographic area > Europe > Denmark
VA Geographic area > Europe > United Kingdom
VA Geographic area > Europe > Germany
VA Geographic area > Europe > Austria
VA Geographic area > Europe > Poland
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