Perceptions of Social Pathology in the Neighborhood and the Etiology of Narcotic Addiction A Retrospective Study

Abstract

In this study, we examined whether differential perceptions of poor urban neighborhoods may contribute to narcotic addiction in individuals who grow up in these neighborhoods. Three groups of adult males provided retrospective perceptions of the neighborhoods where they lived at ages 12 to 14. The groups, matched on neighborhood, age, and race, were: narcotic addicts, peer controls--a never-addicted control sample of age-11 associates of the addicts, and community controls--a never-addicted control sample of age-11 peers who did not associate with the addicts. Results suggested clear group differences in perceptions of neighborhood deviance, with addicts perceiving the greatest and community controls the least amount of deviance. However, within groups, subjects who lived in more socially deviant areas, as determined by official records, tended to view their neighborhoods as more deviant than did subjects who lived in less deviant neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods, Family, and Substance Use: Comparisons of the Relations across Racial and Ethnic Groups

“…Certain neighborhood factors (e.g., neighborhood deviance and danger) are shown to significantly affect substance use (e.g., Nurco et al 1996;Bowen and Bowen 1999;Griffin et al 1999;Duncan, Duncan, and Strycker 2000). Other neighborhood conditions (e.g., resident stability, economic viability, and economic resources) are shown to have no measured effect (e.g., Allison et al 1999).…”

“…1 Still, youth's perceptions of the environment are found to predict youth deviance (Jessor and Jessor 1977;Nurco et al 1996). Youth psychological and behavioral outcomes are predicted by the sense of belonging to a neighborhood (Allison et al 1999), as well as by encouragement and support that youth perceive from neighbors (Bowen and Chapman 1996).…”

Prospective Study of the Association Between Abandoned Dwellings and Testosterone Level on the Development of Behaviors Leading to Cannabis Use Disorder in Boys

“…Figure 1, depicting the theoretical model guiding this investigation, illustrates the interplay of neighborhood context, testosterone level and behavior development culminating in cannabis use disorder. In view of the strong association between disadvantaged neighborhood and high prevalence of illicit drug use and addiction (21,22), this longitudinal investigation sought to clarify whether neighborhood adversity accounts for variance on testosterone level that in turn potentiates behaviors predisposing to cannabis use and ultimately diagnosis of cannabis use disorder. Significantly, cannabis use disorder peaks at approximately 17–18 years of age (23); hence, tracking youths from childhood to young adulthood in this investigation provided the opportunity to delineate the developmental trajectory through the main period of risk.…”

Predictors of Tobacco and Alcohol Refusal Efficacy for Urban and Rural African-American Adolescents

“…Within the community domain, crime, poverty, and neighborhood distress increase the probability of substance use among youths (Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992;Nurco, Kinlock, O'Grady, Lerner, & Hanlon, 1996;Plybon, Edwards, Butler, Belgrave, & Allison, 2003). One risk factor within urban communities is access to tobacco and alcohol products (Wallace & Muroff, 2002).…”