Introduction
The tendency of juveniles to indulge in the culture of drugs and substance use is becoming a major delinquent problem in the United States of America. Statistics, according to the American Drug Addiction Center, reveal that the rates of juveniles, over the past years, who’ve turned into habitual drug and substance abuse have risen by a significant percentages. This is a major problem because the increase in drug and substance use rates among juveniles is highly associated with other delinquent problems like school drop-out, gang-fighting, violence, sexual aggressiveness, and crimes. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigations reports in relation to juvenile delinquency reveal that the majority of juvenile delinquency problems originate from indulgence and uncontrolled use of drugs and substances. Drugs and substances have profound impacts on juveniles—considering that their brains are underdeveloped—thus, their continued use is likely to steer juveniles into doing irrational and not-well-thought actions, intensifying juvenile delinquent problems. In light of this, this paper examines the problem of drug and substance use among the juveniles. Specifically, the paper shall examine the causes of drug and substance use and abuse among juveniles, the consequences of drug and substance use among this group, and the prevention and treatment approaches to this delinquent problem.
Discussion
Causes of Drug Use among Juveniles
Curiosity is the major reason behind juvenile indulgence in drugs and substance abuse culture. At the age of 14 and 15, juveniles become curious about drug use and its impacts on the human body. This leads them to try out, and to some, grow an addiction out of this curiosity. Many of the juveniles who fall into addiction are socially influenced by the culture; having parents or being around a family that is chronic drug users socially influences a teenager into becoming one of them (Susman et al., 2008). The childhood experience of growing up around drug users influences them to develop similar behaviors in their teen years. Another reason why the drug and substance use culture is becoming rampant among juveniles is because of the high prevalence of juveniles living through anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental illnesses and being compelled to delve into drug use to cope with their mental conditions. These juveniles tend to develop drug addiction and influence other juveniles into it. The mental health issues that drive teenagers into drug addiction stem from both internal and external factors. According to Susman et al. (2008), “In the United States of America, any adolescent who suffers from severe anxiety or depression has been found to be at a higher risk for substance abuse.” These two are the major reasons why many teenagers are engrossed in the culture of drug use in the USA. Parental negligence in child upbringing may also contribute to drug and substance abuse among juveniles.
The commonly abused drugs by juveniles include tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. Statistics reveal that some juveniles are chronic abusers of illicit drugs like cocaine, meth, and heroin. Unlike adults, juveniles are hardly able to contain the impacts of drugs and substances on their brains. It takes over their power and becomes part of their lifestyle. The addiction to drugs and substances lead them to commit minor crime to satisfy the demand of their addiction. As the addiction grows, they evolve into major crimes to satisfy huge addictions. Juvenile delinquency resulting from drug use may also compel them to drop out of school, among other juvenile delinquent problems like gang rivalry and fights; note that many juveniles are influenced into the behavior, leading to the formation of gangs, which later become criminal gangs. They may often conflict with other criminal gangs, leading to street fights. The consequences of drug and substance use among juveniles are dire and extend beyond what’s explained here. Therefore, it is necessary to employ preventive and treatment measures as a solution to this delinquent issue.
Preventive Approaches
The rising rates of drugs and substance use among the juveniles is a major problem because it hampers the country’s social progress and evolution as well as lowers the country’s population documented as useful and active. It’s even worse when many juveniles become adults but are still deeply engrossed in chronic drug and substance use. If this delinquent issue is not prevented, then it is undoubtedly that the United States of America will become a society drowned in unquantifiable liters of social challenges, as drug and substance abuse is the hallway to high crime rates, poverty, homelessness, prostitution, and other social problems. Drugs and substance use is like any other delinquent problem and may be prevented by the three approaches to preventing juvenile delinquency; punitive approach, rehabilitation approach, and preventive approach.
The punitive approach is the most commonly used approach in both the adult and juvenile justice systems. It is a complex preventive approach because it is an induced-behavior suppression approach. It focuses on punishing offenders, making it a central retribution crime prevention technique. Drug and substance use among juveniles is a criminal activity; hence, punishment is instigated so that juveniles can bear the consequence of their actions. Freister et al. (2009) write, “Punishment is necessary for juveniles to understand the consequences of their actions.” Juvenile punishment may take many forms, including a prison sentence for gross drug and substance use indulgence like drug peddling. The punitive approach has, over the history, overseen a drastic decline in the rates of not only juvenile delinquent problems but also adult crime rates. Minor juvenile drug users may be punished through techniques like subjecting them to hours of community service. Through this, they get to be indoctrinated into acceptable community morals, and in the process, they may distance themselves from drug and substance use. The community approach induces behavior transformation; hence a vital approach in preventing the juvenile drug and substance use problem among other juvenile delinquent problems. Just as Fester et al (2009) states, “Rather than reducing the role of juvenile justice on punishment and end juvenile offending, the role should be expanded, welcomed and acknowledged.”
The rehabilitation approach is another important approach in ending the juvenile delinquency problem of drug and substance use. This approach is unique because it serves as a preventive and treatment approach. Peikin (2001) claims, “Rehabilitation, in the context of juvenile justice, is a measure taken to prevent juveniles who have been through juvenile prison system from re-offending.” This is a preventive approach founded on the assumption that all juveniles can reform and live delinquent-free lives. This approach mainly targets juveniles who have been through this juvenile delinquent problem. Unlike the punitive approach, which stresses punishing their behavior, this approach stresses the deliberate transformation of behavior; in this context, distance them from drug and substance use and develop behaviors that are socially acceptable. Rehabilitation programs like vocational training and education have been proven to reduce juvenile delinquency by a significant percentage (Peikin, 2001). Other rehabilitation programs, like problem-solving and decision-making programs, transform the juvenile’s view of society (Peterson, 2013). They help them to make logical decisions, solve minor problems and positively relate with the society. This way, they are able to view drugs and substance use as a menace, not only to themselves but also to society.
The preventive approach, the last approach to this juvenile delinquent problem, focuses on preventing the juveniles from completely indulging in drugs and substance use. It entails creating awareness and educating juveniles on the dangers of drugs and substance use. It also entails the use of the juvenile justice system to warn the juveniles against drugs and substance abuse and enlighten them on the consequences of this delinquent behavior. According to Petrosino (2013), “The only effective long-term response to the problem of juvenile delinquency and violence lies in improving the juvenile justice system and preventing delinquency before it occurs.” This approach extends beyond education to creating awareness among juveniles on the importance of being part of and accepted by the community. This approach keeps away juveniles from indulging in drug and substance use in the first place. It is also a psychological preventive approach because it instills fear of unknown consequences in juveniles, compelling them from using drugs and substances as well as indulging in other juvenile delinquent problems (Petrosino, 2013).
Prevention may not be an effective approach for juveniles who are already into drugs and are already exhibiting the negative health and societal impacts of drugs and substance abuse. In this case, treatment becomes necessary. Undoubtedly, the majority of social challenges facing adolescents in America—high rates of school dropout, aggressiveness, violence, and delinquency, among others—stem from the drugs and substance abuse culture. This is the consequence of drug use among adolescents, and it goes deeper because the mental make-up of teenagers tends to be affected more compared to that of adults. In an attempt to alleviate the problem of drug and substance abuse among adolescents, the federal, state, and local governments have launched several programs that provide moral support to this cultural group. This problem among juveniles is commonly viewed through the perspective of peer influence and moral decadence. According to Das et al. (2016), “Therefore, the immediate treatment method is usually the provision of moral support to steer adolescents, especially those who get into this behavior through peer and social influence, away from this anti-social behavior. For juveniles that are deep into drug and substance abuse to cope with life challenges, treatment programs are always designed to completely get them out of these behaviors, mainly through pharmaceutical approaches.” Treatment methods are always designed in a way that suits the current situation of the patient and the exact life challenges he is experiencing. Detoxification is a common treatment method for adolescents battling the drug use problem. Das et al. (2016) define detoxification as the medical supervision administered to chronic drug users to alleviate them from withdrawal symptoms. Examples of withdrawal symptoms are constant shaking and throwing up, which are an indication that the body is recovering from a prolonged period of drug use. During detoxification, adolescents, unlike adults, are always put under 24-hours medical supervision. Juveniles who have been treated the same but still show no improvement or signs of quitting drug use are always put under a program known as residential rehabilitation (Das et al., 2016). This program puts them under tight supervision and scrutiny, blocking all possible avenues of accessing drugs, substances, and alcohol. During this program, patients are also equipped with necessary skills that help them overcome their addiction and practices to help them achieve quick recovery (Das et al., 2016). In severe cases, the residential rehabilitation program incorporates individual and group therapy programs. The residential rehabilitation program is also vital to adolescents that are unresponsive to rehabilitation. However, the United States of America Addiction Center recommends the combination of different in-patient treatment methods for maximum benefit.
An intensive outpatient is also a treatment approach to this problem among juveniles (Das et al., 2016). It’s a country’s cultural thing to provide after-care programs to adolescents that are on their recovery journey. After-care programs may entail weekly therapy, family help, and community support groups for Intensive out-patient (Das et al., 2016). Completely recovering from teenage drug and substance abuse is a relief, not only to the affected individual but also to his family and the community in its entirety. Just as the culture of drug use among adolescents in the United States of America is becoming prevalent, American society should equally encourage the culture of drug treatment and make it rampant to significantly reduce the number of juveniles engrossed in this culture.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper presents research on the causes, consequences, solutions, and treatment approaches to the juvenile delinquent problem of drug and substance abuse. As discussed, it is the major problem to juvenile delinquency because it is a hall way to other juvenile delinquency problems. This problem may be solved through punitive, rehabilitation, and preventive approaches. Treatment measures are also vital, ending drug and substance abuse among juveniles.
References
Das, J. K., Salam, R. A., Arshad, A., Finkelstein, Y., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2016). Interventions for adolescent substance abuse: An overview of systematic reviews. Journal of Adolescent Health, 59(4), S61-S75.
Ferster, E. Z., Snethen, E. N., & Courtless, T. F. (2009). Juvenile Detention: Protection, Prevention or Punishment. Fordham L. Rev., 38, 161.
Peikin, M. (2001). Alternative sentencing: Using the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to keep children in school and out of juvenile detention. Suffolk J. Trial & App. Advoc., 6, 139.
Petrosino, A., Turpin‐Petrosino, C., Hollis‐Peel, M. E., & Lavenberg, J. G. (2013). Scared Straight and other juvenile awareness programs for preventing juvenile delinquency: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 1-55.
Sussman, S., Skara, S., & Ames, S. L. (2008). Substance abuse among adolescents. Substance use & misuse, 43(12-13), 1802-1828.
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