Prior research that assesses the relationship between cannabis policy and prevalence rates has yielded mixed results, perhaps due to the varying rigor of these investigations. Addressing some of these issues in rigor and informed by a rational choice theory (RCT), we hypothesize that those policies on the more punitive end of McDonald and colleagues’ classification will be most effective. Examining legislation in 27 countries utilizing the Second International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD-2) through hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) models with both individual- and country-level controls, we find little support for these hypotheses. Instead, results from our analysis largely indicate that the variation in country prevalence rates from 2005 to 2007 was not significantly related to cannabis control policy. We comment on possible policy implications for these preliminary results.
The primary focus of this paper is to test the cross-national generalizability of the relationship between parental attachment and delinquency. Countries were divided on individualistic and collectivistic dimensions. Individualistic countries emphasize the degree to which individuals are supposed to look after themselves whereas collectivist counties emphasize group integration, usually around the family, and the achievement of group over individual goals. Average individual-level associations between parental attachment and crime were examined across 26 nations in an international dataset of delinquency and victimization of 12–15-year-old students in grades 7–9. Low levels of parental attachment and parental supervision were found to be more strongly related to deviance in countries with individualistic as opposed to collectivist cultural orientations. Alternative explanations for this relationship are explored.
Neighborhood parks and playgrounds are thought to reduce the stressors of disorganized urban environments by adding greenspace and fostering community cohesion, and, in doing so, may reduce crime and delinquency. Yet, they may also foster criminal behaviors, including substance use, as they can provide areas for would-be offenders to gather without surveillance or fear of being caught. This study provides one of the first examinations of the relationship between the number of parks and playgrounds in a neighborhood and adolescent substance use. To do so, we analyze data from 1,584 youth living in 76 neighborhoods in Chicago. Using multivariate, multilevel Rasch models that control for many other factors that may affect adolescent substance use, we find that youth living in areas with more parks and playgrounds have a greater odds of engaging in substance use compared with those living in areas with fewer parks and centers.
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