Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Sociology
Advisor
Melissa Thompson
Date of Award
Summer 8-29-2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.) in Sociology
Department
Sociology
Physical Description
1 online resource (iii, 89 pages)
Subjects
Drug abuse and crime -- United States -- Longitudinal studies, Teenagers -- Drug use -- United States -- Longitudinal studies, Criminal behavior -- Longitudinal studies
DOI
10.15760/etd.1123
Abstract
The current research analyzed the relationship between methamphetamine use, cocaine use and marijuana use within the last 12 months and crime committed within the last 12 months. Crime is defined as drug sales, property and violent crime. The research design is a quantitative approach which uses secondary data analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to provide evidence toward the research question; does illegal drug use increase the risk of committing a crime?The public access, 2008 Wave III data results of this nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 in the US in the 1994-95 school year was used for analysis. Methamphetamine use was associated with an increased risk of committing all crime, only until cocaine use was controlled for. Once cocaine use was controlled for, methamphetamine use became non-significant. Cocaine use and marijuana use were significant and associated with an increased use of committing a crime.
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10000
Recommended Citation
Ferrelli, Erica Jean, "A New Low in Getting High: Illegal Drug Use and Crime" (2013). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 1123.
https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1123
10.15760/etd.1123