Chapter 9Schools and Delinquency

Chapter Goals• Discuss role of education in human development• Understand problems facing educational system

– Economic impact• Understand hazards facing dropouts• Describe association between school failure and delinquency• Know personal/social factors related to school failure• Discuss factors contributing to delinquency in school• Know nature/extent of school shootings

– Rise in last 15 years• Be familiar with efforts to reduce school crime

– School resource officers• Understand type of school-based delinquency prevention• Be familiar with legal rights of students

Case Profile: Ciara’s Story• Lives with mom and 3 siblings• No involvement from father

– Major impact

• Academic/social issues = high risk for dropout• Involved in after-school program

– Prevent “latch-Key” issues

• Improved relationships with school personnel• Reduced influence of academic/social issues

Modern American Schools• Plays significant role in shaping values of youth

– More programs designed to help at risk• Primary determinant of social/economic status• Engine of social change/improvement• Delinquency is related to academic achievement

– Low achievement leads to delinquency– Correlation between school experience and delinquency

• Current trends in education problematic– Improvement in some areas, but minimal– Wide gap between minority and Caucasian youth– Many youth at risk for educational problems

Dropping Out• Alienation in school often leads to dropping out

– Bullying• Rates declining in recent years, but still serious issue• Reasons for dropping out:

– Seeking employment– School dissatisfaction– Exacerbated by family dysfunction and poverty– Pushing out by school systems

• Effects of dropping out mixed– Some say significantly increases delinquency– Some find no link

Academic Performance• Low school achievement results in delinquency

– Chronic underachievers most likely to be delinquent – No high school diploma = increased risk for delinquency– It’s a stronger predictor of delinquency than race, ethnicity,

or peer influence• School failure and delinquency are related

– Direct cause of delinquency– Leads to emotional/psychological problems that cause

antisocial behavior– Share a common cause– Feel that you have no hope

Correlates of School Failure• Personal problems

– Dysfunctional family– Psychological abnormalities– Low self control– Drug Abuse

• Social class– Lower-class children more likely to drop out– Economic status require part time employment

• Tracking– Involves dividing students into groups according to ability– Leads to academic failure/achievement

• Alienation– Youth who don’t like/care about school more likely to be

delinquent

Delinquency in School• General victimization

– Significant portion of juvenile crime occurs during school day and on school grounds

• Teacher victimization– Students not only ones being victimized

• Bullying– Repeated negative acts committed by one or more youth against

another– See Focus on Delinquency p. 236

• School Shootings– Highly publicized events– Profile of school shooters developed– Many shooters had history of abuse, bullying, and perceived lack of

support– Get back at those who harmed you

Causes of School Crime• School-level causes

– High proportion of students below reading level, welfare recipients, and location in social disorganized areas, are linked to school delinquency

• Individual-level causes– Emotional/psychological causes, isolation, alienation, and

substance abuse linked to school delinquency• Community-level causes

– Socially disorganized neighborhoods leads to drug abuse and crime in schools

– Single parent families, high population density, and transient populations lead to higher school crime

– No community programs to assist at risk kids

Reducing School Crime• School security efforts

– Access control, control lighting, gates, picture ids, control book bags, random checks, security cameras

• Employing law enforcement– Many schools have school resource officers– Some have undercover officers

• Improving school climate– Critics argue security measures reduce morale– Improving educational climate encourages

attachment/commitment to school and reduces delinquency

Role of School in Delinquency Prevention

• Advocates called for reforming system to be more responsive to needs of students– Programs that actually work

• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 increased accountability for schools

• School based prevention efforts– Cognitive– Affective– Behavioral– Environmental – Therapeutic

Legal Rights in School• Right to Personal Privacy

– New Jersey vs. T.L.O. merely requires reasonable suspicion by school officials

• Drug Testing– Drug testing without probable cause constitutional for all students as

long as policies are “reasonable”• Drug Searches

– Searches must be “reasonably related” to objectives and not “excessively intrusive”

– Drug Dogs to walk the school• Academic Privacy

– Student records are confidential

Legal Rights in School• Free speech

– Passive speech allowed with few limitations– Off-campus speech can be limited– State courts have limited student speech in cyberspace

• School prayer– Prayers led by “elected” student unconstitutional– Space for after-school religious groups must be provided

• School Discipline– Corporal punishment allowed in 20 states– Allowed under in loco parentis– Suspensions/expulsions require due process hearing– When can it be perceived as “Abuse”

Conclusion• Know the role of education in human development

– Role Models• Be familiar with issues facing U.S. educational system

– Funding, qualified teachers• Understands hazards facing dropouts• Describe school failure/delinquency association• List persona/social factors linked to school failure• Discuss factors contributing to school delinquency• Know nature/extent of school shootings• Be familiar with efforts to reduce school crime• Understand type of school-based delinquency efforts• Be familiar with legal rights of students

Key Terms • FBI• Uniform Crime

Report• Part I/II Offenses• Disaggregated• Self-report Survey• Sampling• Population • Aging out process• Victimization

Chronic Recidivist Age of Onset Racial Threat Theory Chronic Juvenile

Offenders Dark Figures of

Crime

The End

Chapter 9Schools and Delinquency

Chapter 10Drug Use and Delinquency

Chapter Goals • Know which drugs are most frequently abused

– Trends, access• Understand the extent of the drug problem • Be able to discuss how teen drug use has changed over

time• Know the main explanations for why youths take drugs

– Escape problems, feels good, peer pressure• Recognize the different behavior patterns of drug

involved youths• Understand the relationship between drug use and

delinquency• Be familiar with the major drug control strategies• Be able to argue the pros and cons of using different

drug control strategies

Fernando’s Story• History of drug use and drug related charges• Father drank heavily and introduced alcohol

and drugs to his son at early age• At age 12 his mother died• Has 3 older siblings• Born with birth defect• Wants to “fit in”

Marijuana• Marijuana is produced from the leaves of cannabis

sativa• Hashish is a concentrated form of cannabis

– On a rise• Main ingredient in both is THC

(tetrahydrocannabinol), a mild hallucinogen• Most commonly used drug by teenagers• Large amounts causes distortions that produce

hallucinatory effects• Not physically addictive, but long term effects

debatable

Cocaine• Alkaloid derivative of the coca plant• Most powerful natural stimulant that produces

euphoria, restlessness, and excitement• It can be sniffed, snorted, or injected• Immediate feeling or rush is short lived• Crack is processed street cocaine

– Gained popularity in the mid-1980’s– Relatively inexpensive– Can provide a powerful high and is highly addictive

Alcohol• Drug of choice for most teenagers

– Two-thirds of high school seniors reported using in the past year– Three quarters say they have tried it– Very accessible

• Negatively impacts society– Factor in nearly half of all murders, suicides, and accidental deaths– 1.5 million drivers are arrested each year for D.U.I.– 1.2 million more are arrested for alcohol-related offenses– The economic cost is staggering with $185 billion is lost each year

• Reduces tension, enhances pleasure, improves social skills, and transforms experiences for the better

• Long term use linked to depression and physical ailments, ranging from heart disease to cirrhosis of the liver

Other Drugs• Anesthetic Drugs

– Central nervous system depressants– Most widely abused is phencyclidine (PCP), aka angel dust

• Inhalants– Some youths inhale vapors to reach euphoria, followed by

disorientation, slurred speech, and drowsiness• Sedatives and barbiturates

– Most commonly used drugs the CNS• Tranquillizers

– Reduce anxiety and promote relaxation– Use can lead to addiction and withdrawal can be painful and

hazardous

Other Drugs• Hallucinogens

– Provide vivid distortions of the senses without greatly disturbing the viewers consciousness

– Common hallucinogens are mescaline and LSD• Stimulants

– Synthetic drugs that increase blood pressure, breathing rate, bodily activity, and elevate mood

– Most widely used dangerous amphetamine (aka ice or crystal)

– Economic cost in the U.S. exceeds $23 billion a year– See Athletes using them

Other Drugs• Steroids

– Anabolic steroids are used to gain muscle bulk and strength– Black market sales approach $1 billion annually– Cause health problems such as liver ailments, tumors, kidney

problems, sexual dysfunctions, hypertension and depression• Designer Drugs

– Lab created synthetics designed temporarily to get around existing drug laws

– Ecstasy acts simultaneously as a stimulant and hallucinogen• Cigarettes

– Almost one out of every two high school seniors in America have smoked cigarettes in their lifetime

Drug Use Today• Monitoring the Future Survey indicates:

– Drug use among American adolescents declined since peak in 1996 and 1997

– Significant drop in alcohol use• Not always true

– Decline in cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use

– OxyContin use lower for 12th and 10th graders; higher for 8th graders

Drug Use Today• Pride (Parents Research Institute from Drug

Education) Survey indicates:– No change drug activity over 2007-08 school year – Substantial decreases over the last 10 years

• National Survey on Drug Use and Health: – Drug and alcohol use has stabilized or declined– Heavy drinking reported by 7% of youth 12 and

over – 6% of youth 12 to 17 were heavy drinkers and 20%

engaged in binge drinking

Are Survey Results Accurate?• Must be interpreted with caution • Heavy users not expected to fully cooperate • Drug abusers are more likely to be forgetful• Most drug dependent portion of the adolescent is

omitted from the sample • Accuracy of reporting may be affected by social

and personal traits

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Social Disorganization

– Ties drug abuse to poverty, social disorganization, and hopelessness

– Drug use by minorities tied to racial prejudice, self esteem, poor socioeconomic status, and stress of living in a harsh urban environment

– Poverty linked to high level of mistrust and defiance – Empirical data on the relationship between class

and crime is inconclusive– National Youth Survey found little if any association

between drug use and social class

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Peer Pressure

– Adolescent drug abuse is highly correlated with the behavior of best friends, especially when parental supervision is weak

– Youth’s association with friends who are substance abusers increases the probability of drug use

– Relationship is reciprocal– Peer networks may be the most significant

influence on long term substance abuse

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Family Factors

– Drug users have a poor family life– Majority have a unhappy childhood, correlated with

harsh punishment and parental neglect– May involve racial and gender differences:

• Females and European Americans abused as children more likely to have alcohol and drug arrests as adults

• Abuse less likely to affect drug use in males and African Americans

– May also result from observation of parental drug use

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Genetic Factors

– Biological children of alcoholics reared by nonalcoholic adoptive parents more likely to develop alcohol problems than natural children of adoptive parents

– Identical twice as likely as fraternal to have genetic link to drug use

– Future substance abuse can be predicted by behavior as early as 6 years of age

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Emotional Problems

– Drugs help youth control or express unconscious needs

– Drug abusers form an addiction-prone personality which says the cause of substance abuse can be traced to a compulsive personality for mood altering drug

– Research of narcotic abusers suggest a significant percentage suffer from psychotic disorders

– Half of all drug abusers may also be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorders

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Problem Behavior Syndrome

– Substance abuse just one of many problems that begin early in life and persist throughout

– Youths who abuse drugs are maladjusted, emotionally distressed, and have many social problems

Why Do Youths Take Drugs?• Rational choice

– Youths may choose to use drugs to get high, relax, improve their creativity, and escape reality

– May also use it to increase their sexual responsiveness

– Results in less concern regarding negative consequences

Pathways to Drug Abuse• Gateway drugs-substances that leads to use of more

serious drugs• Drinking with an adult present is significant precursor of

substance abuse and delinquency• Serious drug users begin their involvement with alcohol• Drug dealing and drug use:

– Adolescents who distribute small amounts of drugs usually do not commit any serious delinquent acts

– Adolescents who frequently sell drugs - small number are high rate dealers

– Frequent dealers often have adults who front for them– Frequent dealers are more likely to sell drugs in parks, schools,

or other public places

Drug Dealing and Delinquency

• More serious type of drug-involved youth distributes multiple substances and commits property and violent crimes

• Represent 2% of the teenage population but commit 40% of robberies/assaults and 60% of all felony thefts/drug sales

• Few gender differences exist

Persistent Offenders• About two-thirds of substance abusing youths

continue to use drugs in adulthood; half desist from other criminal activities

• Persistent Offenders are characterized by:– Come from poor families– Family members include other criminals– Do poorly in school– Started using drugs and committing other delinquent acts

at an early age– Use multiple types of drugs and commit crimes frequently– Have few opportunities in late adolescence to participate

in legitimate and rewarding adult activities

Drug Use and Delinquency• Association has been established and can take a number of forms:

– Crime may be an instrument of the drug trade– Users may also commit crimes to pay for their habits– Users may be more willing to take risks, as inhibitions lowered by

substance abuse• The National Institute of Justices Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring

(ADAM) tracked trends in drug use among arrestees in urban areas– Most recent report (2002) found almost 60% of juvenile males, and

30% of juvenile females, tested positive for marijuana– With the exception of methamphetamines, males more likely to test

positive for the use of any drug than females• Higher levels of youth problem behaviors and delinquency are

associated with drug use as well as selling drugs

Explaining Drug Use and Delinquency

• It is far from certain whether:– (a) drug use causes delinquency– (b) delinquency leads youths to engage in substance abuse– (c) both drug abuse and delinquency are functions of some

other factor• Institute Of Behavioral Science found important

associations between substance abuse and delinquency:– Alcohol abuse cause of marijuana and other drug abuse -

most users started with alcohol, and youths who abstain from alcohol almost never take drugs

– Marijuana use is cause of multiple drug use with 95% of youths who use more serious drugs starting on pot

– Youths who commit felonies started off with minor delinquent acts

Drug Control Strategies• Billions of dollars spent annual to reduce the

importation of drugs, deter drug dealers and treat users

• Number of strategies deter drug use by stopping the flow of drugs into the country, apprehending dealers, and cracking down on street-level drug dealers

• Another approach is educating potential users and convincing them to say no to drugs

• Third approach is to treat users so they can terminate their users

Law Enforcement Efforts• Source control

– Designed to punish known dealers and users• Border Control

– Designed to interdict drug supplies as they enter the country– Targets internet drug traffickers from foreign countries

• Targeting Dealers– Efforts focus drug trafficking and busting large scale drug rings – Police street-level dealers/users to make drug use too much of

a hassle• Drug sweeps have overcrowded correctional facilities and

drained police resources

Education Strategies• Educational programs to reduce teenage

substance abuse• Begins in kindergarten and extends through

the 12th grade• Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of anti-

drug messages targeted at youth

Community Strategies• Programs reach out to the highest risk youths• Boys and Girls Clubs of America has most

successful community based programs to prevent substance abuse and delinquency– SMART targets the pressures to try drugs/alcohol – Provides education to parents in the community

to assist youth in learning about the dangers of substance abuse and strategies for resisting the pressures to use drugs and alcohol

Treatment Strategies• More than 130,000 youths ages 12 to 17 are

admitted to treatment facilities in the U.S.– Over half (52%) are referred through the juvenile justice

system• Several approaches are available to treat users

– MST focuses on direct attention to family, peer, and psychological problems through problem solving and communication skills

– Outdoor activities, wilderness training, and after school community programs

– UCLA’s Comprehensive Residential Education, Arts, and Substance Abuse Treatment Program

Harm Reduction• Involves lessening the harms and includes the following

components:– Availability of drug treatment facilities so that all addicts who

wish can overcome their habits and lead drug free lives– Use of health professionals to administer drugs to addicts is

part of a treatment and detoxification program– Needle Exchange Programs will slow the transmission of HIV,

and educate users about how HIV is contracted and spread– Special Drug courts or pretrial diversion programs that compel

drug treatment• Critics warn that it condones/promotes drug use;

encourages people to either continue/start using drugs without recognizing the dangers

• Advocates see it as a variable interim measure in dealing with drug use

What Does The Future Hold?• U.S. appears willing to go to great lengths to fight the

drug war• Law enforcement efforts, prevention programs, and

treatment projects have been increased• Prevention, deterrence, and treatment strategies

ignore the core reasons for the drug problems• Legalization of drugs would decriminalize drug use to

reduce the association between drug use and crime

Conclusion • Know most frequently abused drugs• Understand extent of drug problem• Discuss evolution of drug use over time• Know explanations for why youth take drugs• Recognize behavior patterns of drug abusing youth• Understand relationship between drug use and

delinquency• Be familiar with drug control strategies• Argue pros and cons of different strategies

Key Terms• Substance Abuse• Marijuana• Hashish • Cocaine• Crack• Heroin• Addict • Alcohol• Anesthetic Drugs• Harm Reduction• Legalization of Drugs

• Inhalants• Sedatives• Tranquilizers• Hallucinogens• Stimulants• Anabolic steroids• Designer Drugs• Addiction Prone Personality• Gateway Drug• Multi-Systemic Therapy

The End

Chapter 10Drug Use and Delinquency