Criminology Research Council grant ; (15/91)
The aim of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between substance abuse and juvenile delinquency among Aboriginal youth. The purpose of the study was to aid the Sobriety Group in the development of a facility that would help deal with Aboriginal substance abuse and juvenile offending. By examining the nature of the relationship between drug use and delinquency it was believed that more effective programs could be developed for dealing with the problem.
A questionnaire was administered to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal school students between the ages of 10 and 18 years in order to determine whether there is a relationship between drinking, drug taking, and delinquent behaviour. Interviews were conducted with members of the police force and with Aboriginal youths from both recreational and correctional facilities in an attempt to better understand the nature of the relationship as it applies specifically to Aboriginal youths.
The major findings of the school study were that: fewer Aboriginal students reported drinking alcohol than is generally expected; alcohol use increased with age although less than half of the total sample of Aboriginal students indicated that they drink alcohol; non-Aboriginal students reported drinking more often than Aboriginal students; marijuana use was found to be very extensive in both groups but the use of "hard" drugs was found to be fairly rare; Aboriginal students were involved in serious delinquent activities and acts of interpersonal aggression more often than non-Aboriginal students; and alcohol use appeared to be closely related to delinquency for Aboriginal students in particular, while marijuana use was found to be related to involvement in delinquent activities for both groups of students.
Results from the interviews also suggested that substance abuse is related to Aboriginal juvenile offending in the following ways.
Many youths who commit crimes use alcohol and other drugs quite extensively; many youths reported that they commit crimes when they are under the influence of certain substances, and they often commit crimes in order to obtain alcohol and other drugs. Substance abuse and delinquency appear to be related in that they both seem to arise from common "causes". Peer group pressure and boredom were the primary reasons given by the youths when they were asked to indicate why they use drugs and why they commit crimes.
Although the results do not suggest that Aboriginal youths drink alcohol or use other drugs more often than non-Aboriginal youths, they do suggest that substance abuse among Aboriginal youths is closely related to juvenile offending. The fact that the Aboriginal students were found to be involved in serious delinquent activities and acts of aggression against other people more often than non-Aboriginal students, and that alcohol use was found to be closely associated with juvenile delinquency for Aboriginal students but not for those who were non-Aboriginal, suggests that programs which deal with substance abuse among young Aboriginal people can do much in reducing the rate of juvenile crime.
The report provides a detailed discussion of the findings and of the complex nature of the relationship between substance abuse in juvenile offending. It also discusses the role that negative attitudes towards school and the police may play in the development of delinquent behaviour patterns. Suggestions are then made as to how these findings can be used in order to make programs that deal with substance abuse and juvenile delinquency more effective when dealing with Aboriginal youths.