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Typology of Drug-Related Offending Among Young Homeless Injection Drug Users

NCJ Number
229651
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: Fall 2009 Pages: 777-802
Author(s)
Bill Sanders; Stephen E. Lankenau; Jennifer Jackson Bloom; Dodi S. Hathaz
Date Published
2009
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study investigated drug-related offending among a sample of young, homeless injection drug users.
Abstract
Research indicates a link between drug use and offending, particularly amongst high-risk individuals, such as homeless youth. The extent to which such youth interpret their offending as being related to their drug use, though, is understudied. This manuscript investigates the interpretations of drug-related offenses offered by 151 primarily White, male, homeless IDUs aged 16-29 years. Youth were asked specific questions about their drug-related offenses during in-depth interviews as part of a larger study investigating health risks surrounding drug injection between 2004 and 2006. The first section of the manuscript outlines offenses youth revealed committing either in pursuit of or after using a variety of substances. The second part of the manuscript examines the overall context (motivation, environment), and provides a seven-tiered typology of drug-related offending based on youth's interpretations, linking certain drugs to specific offenses within particular contexts. From here, some theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. Tables, figures, notes, and references (Published Abstract)