SUBSTANCE USE ABUSE AS A PREDICTOR TO ILLEGAL AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR - A REVIEW OF THE RELEVANT LITERATURE/

The preponderance of the research evidence supports the conclusion tha t abuse of certain types of illicit drugs, separately from the abuse o f alcohol, predisposes to subsequent violent behavior. The relationshi p of cocaine/crack to violent crime has been established more clearly for users of crack in inner city areas than it has for those who are u sers of other forms of cocaine in the general population. In regard to any race/ethnic or socioeconomic factors in the relationships between substance use/abuse and violent behavior, most clearly established is that a higher proportion of young Black males, compared to other race /ethnic groups, are actively involved in dealing cocaine/crack in some inner city poverty areas. As for gender differences, the research evi dence indicates that alcohol abuse as a predictor to and a precipitant of violent behavior, is more clearly established for males than for f emales. Drug abuse, as distinct from alcohol abuse, has been found to predict subsequent violent behavior, for females as well as for males. ''Co-morbidity,'' the combination of substance use with and psychopat hology, appears more likely to predict for females to later violent be havior Psychopathology and mental health problems are less likely to p redict occurrence of either violent or criminal behavior in the future than are either alcohol abuse or drug abuse. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd.