Juvenile Drug Use - Research Paper Example

? Juvenile Drug Use The issue of drugs and the juvenile has been a heated debate for the past decades. This paper will focus on the significance of drug use among juveniles in the United States. It will also analyze the relationship between drug use and delinquency. Risk factors and effective means of combating the menace will also be analyzed. Juvenile Drug Use Introduction The issue of drugs and the juvenile has been a heated debate for the past decades. Much concern has been on the relationship between juvenile and drugs. In the effort to search for solutions to this problem, various researches have been carried out to elucidate on the matter. In order to come up with an effective solution, the focus has been on which causes the other: are the drugs that caused delinquency or is it delinquency that causes drug use? In order to clearly assess this matter, it would be necessary first to understand what drugs and delinquency are. What are drugs? Drugs can be categorized into legal drugs and illegal drugs categories. Legal drugs are drugs that help the body function properly. These are drugs that are prescribed by doctors. However, these drugs can also be dangerous to the human body if they are abused. This means that users may decide to take them for purposes other than what is prescribed by doctors. Illegal drugs are drug are illegal and prohibited by the government. These drugs are used for various purposes, which among them include making individuals feel high, relaxed, and as stimulants (Block, 1996). Alcohol and marijuana are the most abused drugs by juveniles. These drugs are commonly used by juveniles because they are easily available and cheaper when compared to other hard drugs (Block, 1996). Relationship between juvenile delinquency and drugs Juvenile delinquency is believed to be caused by various issues. The first and most likely the considerable one is poor parenting. Most of the cases of juvenile delinquency cases are attributed to poor parenting style (Blow, Sprenkle & Davis, 2007). Most parents are unable to rear their children in a morally upright manner. Studies have documented that children brought up in a permissive parenting style tend to engage in unruly behaviors than children brought up in an authoritative parenting style. Permissive parenting style is whereby parents allow their children to do as they please. They rarely have control over what their children do. They do not give instructions to their children, and as a consequence, children involve themselves in various unruly behaviors (Blow, Sprenkle & Davis, 2007). Authoritative parents take control of their children, and they set rules that have to be followed by the children. In most cases, these children grow up to be responsible people with good behaviors (Blow, Sprenkle & Davis, 2007). However, it is also believed that children brought up in a poor family trends to engage in queer behaviors. This is attributed to a number of challenges they undergo in their lives. For example, children who find it difficult to get enough food to feed on would most likely engage in theft cases in order to get food. Additionally, studies have also indicated that such children would engage in drugs and alcohol in order to relieve the anguish of hard life (Lenz, 2003). Nevertheless, there has not been any study that has elucidated on an absolute conclusion that either drugs or delinquency causes the other. Nonetheless, it is believed that either of them causes the other. For example, a child from a well up family may be influenced by peers to engage in drugs (Lenz, 2003). Eventually this child might be introduced to delinquency. It is also apparent that children with delinquency may indulge in drugs as a way of facilitating delinquency or relieving consequences emanating from delinquency. Curiosity originating from information technology could also be part of factors that facilitate involvement of juvenile in drugs and delinquency (Lenz, 2003). For example, a juvenile who frequently watches horror movies in a television has a high likelihood of trying to emulate what he or she sees on movies. Some movies would portray a notion that people on drugs tend to be more powerful or perform strange things. This way, a juvenile watching such movies would most likely try to use drugs just out of curiosity. Therefore, it is arguably true to note that juvenile delinquency and drugs are inextricably linked (Lenz, 2003). In fact, either delinquency or drugs can come first, and influence the juvenile to indulge in the other. This depends on factors of family, school, and neighborhood. Risk factors of both drugs and juvenile delinquency Continued substance and drug abuse among juveniles is often accompanied by a collection of problems ranging from family problems, academic difficulties, health-related consequences, and involvement with juvenile justice system. When juvenile involve themselves in drugs, they risk their health, which among them involves mental related problems. Some drugs like marijuana are known for its effects on memory loss and other health related problems (Block, 1996). Juveniles involved in these drugs find it difficult to even concentrate in class since much of their concentration and attention is on drugs. These drugs are also known for their addictive affect which to some extent make the user to look for all available means of obtaining them. This translates to stealing in order to get money to buy them (Sturm, 2002). At this level, the most and obvious first victims of such actions are the family members of the juvenile. They would first start stealing from their fathers, mothers and siblings. Analytically, it means that at this stage, this juvenile has entered another stage of developing delinquency, and this might be extended to the neighborhood. Once there are no opportunities to secretly steal from people, they start using force like snatching people’s handbags and other commodities (Sturm, 2002). This is where the issue of juvenile justice system comes in. As a result, the family of the juvenile suffers most since they undergo both emotional and psychological torture due to the unfolding events. They spend a lot of resources trying to help their child to refrain from such behaviors. Effective means of combating youth drug abuse Several efforts have been established to curb the menace of youth drug use. However, there can not be a single solution to this problem. It calls for multidimensional strategies, which must be incorporated in order to come up with a solution (Solhkhah & Wilens, 1998). It is arguably true to note that subjecting juvenile into the juvenile justice system forms part of the solution, but, this cannot offer a comprehensive solution to the problem. For example, if parents are not well informed about the best parenting style to use when upbringing their children, this means that there will be a need to establish many more of juvenile justice programs for such youths. Therefore, as long the government would wish to take control of the situation, it is crucial for all involved parties to be engaged (Solhkhah & Wilens, 1998). Finding solutions to youth drugs is like finding a cure to certain diseases. In this case, using some pain relievers to the disease does not cure the disease. It is vital to dig deep to find the root cause of the disease. That way it would be easy to look for a cure of the disease. In other words, a focus needs to be on what causes youth engage in drugs and delinquency. After these causes are identified, the government should now channel its efforts towards finding solutions to these causes. This is what can be translated to mean searching for immunization of the disease. However, a few reported cases can be treated with available treatment measures. Translating this to the use of drugs by youth, it means that the government should ensure that issues related to the causes of drug use and delinquency is addressed accordingly. For example, uplifting the socio-economic status of people would be a good strategy of preventing the problem, and then, for a few cases that might arise, the juvenile judicial system maybe applied on them. This should, of course be accompanied by counseling service. Conclusion Drug abuse involves use of illegal drugs, which are used for various purposes, which among them include making individuals feel high, relaxed, and as stimulants. Drug use may facilitate youth to engage in delinquency, and delinquency may facilitate youth to engage in drugs. Solution to juvenile delinquency and drug use calls for multidimensional strategies, which must be incorporated in order to find solutions. The government needs to look for root causes of these issues and offer solutions to them. References: Solhkhah, R. & Wilens, E. (1998). Pharmacotherapy of Adolescent Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders. Alcohol Health & Research World, 22, 2: 1-99. Blow, A., Sprenkle, D., & Davis, S. (2007). Is who delivers the treatment more important than the treatment itself? The role of the therapist in common factors. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33, 278-309. Lenz, K. (2003). Correlates of Young Adult Tobacco Use: Application of a Transition Framework. The Journal of School Nursing, 19, 4: pp. 232- 237. Sturm, R. (2002). The Effects of Obesity, Smoking, and Drinking On Medical Problems And Costs. Health Affairs, 21, 2: 245- 253. Block, R. (1996). Does Heavy Marijuana use Impair Human Cognition and Brain Function? Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 275, 7: 560-562. Read More