Correlation between Substance Abuse and Likelihood to Commit Crime Essay Example
Introduction
A lot of research that has been conducted has proved that there is a strong correlation between the individual that are suffering from substance abuse and their like hood to commit crimes but this relationship is complex. As we all know, not all people that use drugs do not end up being addicted, nor in any way do they in their lifetime commit violent crime. Vices such as social and economical ones, including crimes, premature death, illness, and all the significant losses incurred in the manufacturing of all those who are affected by such things as drug abuse and alcoholism, In order to gets a clear overview concerning the link between crime and substance abuse (Sun, 2015).
In this research report, emphasis will be put concerning the current drugs trends in various societies. In the first instance, it will b
...e analyzed the reasons as to why drug addiction and the link correlating them with drug abuse and crime will be analyzed, secondly drug abuse trends among the youth and adults from various literature will also be evaluated, and thirdly we shall review the relevant literature touching on issues such as criminal justice systems, information that had been clearly audited from both the juvenile and adult arrest, factors such traffic crashes due to substance abuse, mortality rate, and drug courts proceedings (Lê Cook et al, 2015).
Literature review
There are so many theories that have been advanced to support the claim correlating substance abuse and like hood to commit crime. The following are some sample of this as outlined. According to Sun (2015), a receptor in the brain known as Dopamine when someone is used to the abuse o
drugs, it leads the individual with high desirability for bad emotions that are heavily linked with why the people who use drugs over a long time will become addicted. The usage of amphetamine or other drugs such as cocaine lead to the functionality of the brain to have influence on the brain and the like hood of addiction increases. One of the theory advanced by Sun (2015), commonly known as Incentive sensitization states that more focus to a potential individual who is going to be addicted may in some instance lead to effect of the internal anticipation as a reward for these drugs.
This is once mixed with these rewards for these drugs to these potential addicts to their choice of drugs. Many of the addict are said to lead a ruined kind of life, very miserable, but their craving for drugs increases with each passing day. The continued use of drug is for them to derive a conditioned pleasure that cannot be gotten from any other sources. Sun (2015) suggest that some form of treatment may be triggered using certain environmental factors that can help the addict to minimize this craving for drugs and come up with alternative mode of behaviors that will help them to minimize contacts with friends and places associated with these drugs.
According to a Journal by the body in the State of New York established to fight the vices of substances abuse Lê Cook et al (2015) those people who are currently undertaking alcohol abuse or smoking are not the one who are involved in the vices of serious crime. However, the high rates of individual involved in these vices are
the victims that are currently on probation, incarcerated or the paroled ones more than the general population. The study further suggests that crime and like hood to commit crime are prime example of an individual suffering from low-self esteem and control. Most of the people, who are prone to these vices, end up turning to the street crime or life reason being that of addiction and desperation in life (Sun, 2015).
Another journal by Lê Cook et al (2015), the research that are undertaken by this agency have proved that substance abuse is not substantially a claim that makes a criminal offender, however there is a correlation of it to intensifying such actions. However, other instances have shown that those people involved in substance abuse are less likely to suffer from legitimate profession to qualify for a job, with lifestyle choice, the environmental factors, genetic determinants as to whoever will end up abusing alcohol and drugs as the people likely to commit crime.
Lastly the study carried out by Spohr (2015) has shown that most of the impending factors concerning the relationship inking the drugs and the crime are hard to measure. There is also the relationship that correlates poverty among the substance use and all the violent criminal involving male arrestees. Lastly, it was also discovered that the student who abuse drugs in the
Methods
As per the prior examined literatures, it is evident that there is a strong correlation between drug abuse and the like hood to commit crime. To conduct our field analysis study, we are going to employ two methods, administering questionnaires and doing experiment on the urinal samples of the offenders arrested in connection
to committing criminal activities. Our survey was to be conducted across 24 major cities in the U.S (Sun, 2015).
Drugs are linked to the substance abuse in many multiple ways, most of them being directly whether it is to be in possession, usage, manufacture, or as a distributors all of them are classified as having potentiality to abuse the drugs. The relation arising here is that all the classified drugs (Cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and amphetamines) affect the behavior of the users either to indulge in crime or generate violence together with other illegal activities deriving a connection with the drug trafficking (Lê Cook et al, 2015).
As per the test and analysis conducted, when victims of violent and crime were asked to explain their first encounters with the criminals, there response was that they perceived them to be under the influence of substance abuse or alcohol. According to our survey, 59% of the respondents stated that the offenders was under the influence of substance abuse or misused alcohol. Another 20% of the respondent said that most of the offenders in the scene of crime were severely under the influence of drugs in combination to the alcohol abuse (Spohr et al, 2015).
The analysis of police files showed out that most of the arrestees turned out to be positive for recent use of drugs. All the programs that we rolled out among the arrestees by testing the alcohol percentage in their urine once they were arrested committing crime, 54% of them tested positive. It is worth noting that our programs were conducted voluntarily and anonymously ranging from the time their arrest to the time they are taken to their
booking facilities across major cities in U.S (Sun et al, 2015).
Data collected also showed out that, of all the male arrestee in 2016 across major 24 cities the percentage for those testing positive was ranging from 42% to 79% in these cities. The other one conducted for females showed that those testing the range of 38% to 85%. In the other criterion for the drug sales and being in possession, there were high prevalent for them to test positive. All the female who were arrested for prostitution or in connection to drug sales and distribution tested positive and lastly both the male and female arrested in connection for burglary and committing serious robbery were having high content of drugs or alcoholism in their urine sample (Spohr et al 2015).
Conclusion
It is evident from the conducted research in the above finding that there is a correlation between substance abuse and likely hood to commit crime. For both the male and female, the prevalence of criminal activities was recorded high in those cities that have high consumption of alcohol and drug abuse. Most of the offenders were lead to criminal to get funds so that they can finance their craving and fit in their peer groups. The offenders also exhibited high increase in violence and the drug possession was seen to lead to abuse of them hence indulging in theft or robbery as drugs like heroin distort the mind of the users. Rehabilitation should be instituted by the concerned authority so that these peoples are brought back to the society and be pro-active.
References
- Lê Cook, B., & Alegría, M. (2015). Racial-ethnic disparities in substance abuse treatment: the role
of criminal history and socioeconomic status. Psychiatric Services.
