Abstract

SAN JUAN, César; OCARIZ, Estefanía  and  GERMAN, Isabel. Young Offenders and Drug Consumption: A Psychosocial and Crime Profile. Rev. Crim. [online]. 2009, vol.51, n.1, pp.147-162. ISSN 1794-3108.

This paper shows, on the one hand, the outcomes of an investigation in which the records of decisions made in special courts for young offenders in San Sebastián, Vitoria and Bilbao (Comunidad Autónoma Vasca, Spain) in 2003 are analyzed. From 2003 to 2007 those young drug consumers, who entered again in contact with the juvenile justice system, were observed. Such records exhibit legal, penal, and psychosocial variables. On the other hand, this paper shows two differentiated studies: the first corresponds to the profile of young drug-consumer offenders, a study in which particular groups of foreign non-accompanied young offenders are mentioned; the second identifies differences between drug consumer and non-consumer young offenders. The link of the offense with the consumption of nocive substances is analyzed, including the differential factor that leads to alcohol consumption to, finally, suggest a discussion regarding the challenges this problem may bring about.

Keywords : young offender; alcoholism; drug addict; foreign; offender.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )