EARLY FAMILY ADVERSITY AS A PRECURSOR TO NARCOTIC ADDICTION

This retrospective study examined differences among three groups of ur ban males in the prevalence of various family risk factors occurring b efore age 11 and their independent contributions to subsequent devianc e. The groups included: narcotic addicts; never-addicted peer controls who were associates of the addicts at age 11; and never-addicted comm unity controls not associated with the addicts. Sixty-four percent of the addicts, compared to slightly under 40% of both control groups, re portedly experienced one or more family risk factors involving deviant behavior among family members and family disruption before age 11. Wh ile community controls differed from addicts on both family deviance a nd disruption in family structure, peer controls differed from addicts only on disruption of family structure. For the total sample, both fa mily deviance and family disruption experienced before age 11 were sig nificantly associated with crime severity level at age 11. Implication s of these findings for future substance abuse research and interventi on are discussed.