Youth Offenders' Lifestyles
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050104800111 |
| Date | 01 March 2001 |
| Author | Phillip Hoare |
| Published date | 01 March 2001 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
49
On
average,
each
arrestee
knew
a
dozen
dealers,
illustratmg
just
how
easy
it
is
to
obtam
illegal
drugs
from
a
wide
range
of
sources.
A
particularly
worrying
finding
was
that
27%
admitted
they
carried
a
weapon
other
than
a
gun
and
over
a
third
said
they
had
owned
or
had
easy
access
to
a
gun.
This
is
disturbing
but
perhaps
hardly
surprismg
given
the
extremely
lucrative
illegal
drug
business
combined
with
senous
sentencmg
sanctions
for
those
who
are
caught
(e.g.
supplymg
ecstasy
to
a
friend
carries
a
maximum
penalty
of
life
imprisonment).
This
report
provides
a
good
insight
into
the
extent
of
drug
taking
within
certain
sections
of
society,
as
well
as
the
links
between
particular
drugs
and
particular
cnmes.
However,
the
data
would
be
much
richer
if
the
researchers
had
been
able
to
mcorporate
and
mtegrate
a
more
qualitative
analysis.
A
further
criticism
of
this
study
is
that
it
encouragmgly
mcludes
the
testmg
of
alcohol,
but
then
fails
to
exploit
or
properly
analyse
this
data.
This
is
disappomtmg
given
the
strong
links
between
alcohol
and
crimes
of
disorder
and
violence
in
particular.
However,
this
report
is
still
essential
readmg
for
all,
but
especially
for
those
involved
m
DTTOs.
Drugs
and
Crime:
The
Results
of
the
Second
Developmental
Stage
of the
NEW-ADAM
Programme,
by
Trevor
Bennett.
Home
Office
Research
Study
205,
2000.
The
full
report
can
be
downloaded from
the
internet
or
obtained free
of
charge
from
the
Home
Office,
RDS,
Communications
Development
Unit,
Room
201,
50
Queen
Anne’s
Gate,
London,
SWIH
9AT.
Tel:
020
72’73
2084.
E-mail:
publications.rds@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Website:
http
//www
Ao~6<3~Ce.~
Julian
Buchanan
Senior
Lecturer
in
Social
Work,
North
East
Wales
Institute
Youth
Offenders’
Lifestyles
-
The
1998/9
Youth
Lifestyles
Survey
covered
4,848
people
aged
12-30
and
living
m
England
and
Wales
between
October
1998
and
January
1999.
The
survey,
based
on
self-report
data,
aims
to
provide
a
more
complete
picture
of
the
nature
and
extent
of
youth
crime
than
is
provided
by
recorded
crime
statistics.
It
is
carefully
structured
to
provide
a
representative
sample
of
the
population
as
a
whole
and
encompasses
the
broad
range
of
offences
reported
by
the
respondents.
The
survey
is
split
into
three
sections:
(a)
The
extent
of
self-reported
offending;
(b)
Risk
factors
for
serious
or
persistent
young
offenders
(PYOs);
(c)
Attitudes
to
the
police.
Self-Reported
Offending -
Much
of
what
is
highlighted
by
this
research
is
in
fact
confirmed
by
criminal
statistics
on
reported
cnme.
It
finds,
for
example,
that:
.
Crime
is
more
widespread
than
criminal
statistics
would
suggest;
.
A
smaller
group
of
PYOs
tend
to
be
responsible
for
a
substantial
amount
of
crime,;
.
The
peak
age
of
offendmg
is
14
for
women
and
18
for
men;
.
Men
get
involved
in
much
more
violent
crime
than
women;
.
Men
outnumber
women
offenders
by
a
ratio
of
3:1;
.
Women
grow
out
of
crime
earlier
than
men
and
also
grow
out
of
all
types
of
antisocial
behaviour
earlier
than
males.
Risk
Factors -
Of
specific
interest
to
practitioners
is
the
section
on
nsk
factors
associated
with
a
higher
or
lower
likelihood
of
offendmg
for
12-17
year
old
males.
The
followmg
are
identified
as
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