Historique
Article de Périodique
Drug spend and acquisitive offending by substance misusers (2013)
Auteur(s) :
HAYHURST, K. P. ;
JONES, A. ;
MILLAR, T. ;
PIERCE, M. ;
DAVIES, L. ;
WESTON, S. ;
DONMALL, M.
Année :
2013
Page(s) :
24-29
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
EPI (Epidémiologie / Epidemiology)
Thésaurus géographique
ROYAUME-UNI
Thésaurus mots-clés
CRIME
;
CRIMINALITE
;
DELINQUANCE
;
FINANCEMENT
;
DEPENSE
;
ENQUETE
Résumé :
Aim: The need to generate income to fund drug misuse is assumed to be a driver of involvement in acquisitive crime. We examined the influence of drug misuse expenditure, and other factors, on acquisitive offending.
Methods: Clients (N = 1380) seeking drug treatment within 94 of 149 Drug Action Teams (DATs) across England completed a comprehensive survey, incorporating validated scales and self-report measures, such as levels of drug and alcohol use and offending.
Results: Forty per cent (N = 554) had committed acquisitive crime in the previous month. Regression analysis showed that acquisitive offending was associated with the presence of problematic use of crack cocaine, poly-drug use, sharing injecting equipment, unsafe sex, overdose risk, higher drug spend, unemployment, reduced mental wellbeing, and younger age.
Conclusions: Rates of acquisitive crime among drug users are high. Drug using offenders can be distinguished from drug using non-offenders by problematic crack cocaine use, younger age, income-related factors, and indicators of a chaotic life style and complex needs. Behavioural and demographic factors were associated more strongly with acquisitive crime than drug use expenditure, suggesting that the need to finance drug use is not necessarily the main factor driving acquisitive offending by drug users.
Methods: Clients (N = 1380) seeking drug treatment within 94 of 149 Drug Action Teams (DATs) across England completed a comprehensive survey, incorporating validated scales and self-report measures, such as levels of drug and alcohol use and offending.
Results: Forty per cent (N = 554) had committed acquisitive crime in the previous month. Regression analysis showed that acquisitive offending was associated with the presence of problematic use of crack cocaine, poly-drug use, sharing injecting equipment, unsafe sex, overdose risk, higher drug spend, unemployment, reduced mental wellbeing, and younger age.
Conclusions: Rates of acquisitive crime among drug users are high. Drug using offenders can be distinguished from drug using non-offenders by problematic crack cocaine use, younger age, income-related factors, and indicators of a chaotic life style and complex needs. Behavioural and demographic factors were associated more strongly with acquisitive crime than drug use expenditure, suggesting that the need to finance drug use is not necessarily the main factor driving acquisitive offending by drug users.
Affiliation :
National Drug Evidence Centre (NDEC), University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK