Abstract
Young drug users are found to be increasingly involved in criminal justice issues. This exploratory and descriptive study aims to analyze the criminal behaviors among young Chinese drug users through a mixed methods research design. Quantitative analysis indicates that young drug users with and without a history of criminality show significant differences in terms of several features. Male drug users, particularly, those who are older, with religious beliefs, and initiated into drug use at younger age were most likely to commit crimes. Among drug users with criminal experiences, those who committed crimes prior to drug initiation have a greater likelihood of committing violent crimes. Furthermore, young drug users with severe depression are more likely to commit crimes, especially violent ones. Qualitative analysis further illustrates that young male drug users often get involved in criminal conduct of the youth gang nature with propensity for engaging in violent crimes as compared to their female counterparts who are more likely to turn into drug dealers and traffickers, in addition to engaging in larceny. The research findings are consistent with developmental theories and “victim to offender cycle”. Integrated mental health and substance use services are suggested for crime prevention among young Chinese drug users.
Highlights
Research has established that drug use among young people has risen considerably in recent years [1,2,3,4], and China is no exception
The results show that male drug users with older ages, religious beliefs, and lower education levels were more likely to commit crimes
Logistic regression analyses showed that older male drug users who had religious beliefs and initiated drug at younger age were the most likely to be involved in both violent and non-violent criminal behaviors
Summary
Research has established that drug use among young people has risen considerably in recent years [1,2,3,4], and China is no exception. Chinese society faces a rapidly growing population of drug users. The registered drug users (individuals who have received, at least, one police citation for drug use) has grown substantially in a short period; from 2.1 million in 2012 [8] to. 60% of the above-mentioned registered drug users were aged 35 or under in 2016 [9]. The statistics indicate that the number of drug users has surged dramatically in China, and that young people represent a large proportion of the drug user population
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