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Connection Between Heavy Drinking and Juvenile Delinquency During Adolescence

NCJ Number
212105
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 25 Issue: 6 Dated: November-December 2005 Pages: 629-650
Author(s)
Jason A. Ford
Date Published
November 2005
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed the relationship between alcohol use and delinquency during adolescence.
Abstract
Previous research has established a relationship between alcohol use and delinquency but has yet to determine the exact nature of the relationship, although a majority of the studies indicate that the relationship between delinquency and alcohol use is dynamic and reciprocal. This study builds on this body of research by examining how elements from social control theory, specifically social bonding, intervene in the relationship between alcohol use and delinquency. Data were drawn from five waves of the National Youth Survey (NYS), a national probability sample of adolescents that focused on delinquent behavior and substance use. Variables under examination in this analysis include attachment to family and community as well as alcohol consumption patterns and history of delinquency. Results of structural equation modeling suggest a reciprocal relationship between alcohol use and delinquency, as well as stability in both behaviors over time. Additionally, significant indirect connections between the two variables were observed via the social bond. The relationship that emerges indicates that alcohol and delinquency weaken the social bond, leading to an increase in both behaviors. Future research should attempt to replicate these findings using a more contemporary sample. Figures, tables, references