Trends in the Commission of Crime among Narcotic Addicts over Successive Periods of Addiction and Nonaddiction (Informa Healthcare)

Abstract

Although several studies have documented high levels of criminal activity among narcotic addicts, especially during periods of active addiction, few studies have delineated the types of criminal activities involved or have attempted to uncover trends in such activities over successive periods of addiction and nonaddiction in addicts' careers. In the present series of analyses, the criminal activities of 354 male narcotic addicts were categorized and traced individually over time using five, standardized, crime-days-per-year-at-risk measures in the areas of theft, violence, drug sales, deception/forgery, and other crimes. In addition, a sixth composite measure was also employed. Although large differences among addicts in patterns of criminal activity over time were much in evidence and may be useful as a basis for a criminal typology, this same heterogeneity tends to preclude definitive statements concerning addicts as a group. This caveat notwithstanding, there does appear to be a general tendency for criminal activity to diminish over successive periods of nonaddiction and to increase irregularly over successive periods of addiction. The agreement of these findings with those of earlier group analyses by the authors is discussed.

Does substance misuse moderate the relationship between criminal thinking and recidivism?

“…Prior research suggests that among individuals with severe substance use disorders (i.e., addicts), a great deal of crime is fundamentally driven by substance dependence/addiction – the physical and psychological need for the illicit substance in question (Goldstein, 1985; Nurco, Shaffer, Ball, & Kinlock, 2984; Nurco, Hanlon, Kinlock, & Duszynski, 1988; Vaughn, 2011; White & Gorman, 2000). Dependence-driven crime can include the possession of illegal substances, as well as any crime committed to obtain resources necessary to obtain drugs.…”

Hostility and Anger in Patients Dependent on Different Psychoactive Drugs

“…Aggression plays a significant role in the structure of addictive disorders and contributes to family and interpersonal conflict (Neznanov, 1994;Rean, 1996;Miczek, DeBold, & Haney, 1994;Schuckit, 2000;Martin-Storey, Serbin, & Stack, 2011;Nurco, Shaffer, & Ball, 1984).…”

Illegal Acts Committed by Adolescents Under the Influence of Alcohol and Drugs

“…The economic motivation model, which is an alternative perspective to the psychopharmacological model, assumes that drug users need to generate illicit income to support their drug habits (Goldstein 1985). Support for this model comes from the literature on heroin addicts, which indicates that increases or decreases in the frequency of substance use among addicts raise or lower their frequency of crime, especially property crime (e.g., Anglin and Perrochet 1998;Chaiken and Chaiken 1990;Nurco et al 1984). In contrast, self-report data do not provide strong support for an economic motivation model (White and Gorman 2000).…”