NCJ Number
226486
Journal
Criminology & Criminal Justice Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2009 Pages: 93-110
Date Published
February 2009
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study assessed whether low self-control acted as a single linking mechanism that could predict both offending and drug use, or whether the factors underlying these behaviors were due to criminal thinking, a cognitive style which could be influenced by aspects of drug treatment.
Abstract
Results of the study found a strong association between low self-control and high criminal thinking. Lower levels of self-control were associated with younger age, and evidence showed a link between younger age and higher criminal thinking. The relationship between drug use and crime was more complex, although the findings suggest a mediating role for age and indications that drugs-crime linkage is mediated by patterns of substance use and offending. Several United Kingdom and other international studies have demonstrated a strong link between drug use and crime. In addition, research has supported the relationship between drug treatment and reduced criminal activity. Utilizing 50 drug using offenders attending a court-mandated treatment program, the Birmingham Drug Intervention Program, this study examined the relationship between drug use and offending at the first level, than related the association to demographic characteristics, criminal thinking style, and self-control. The intent was to predict underlying causal factors in the relationship between drug use and criminal behavior. Tables, notes, and references