The effects of substance use on specific types of criminal offending in young men

This study examined the causal relationship between substance use and delin quency. Subjects were 596 males aged 16 to 19 from Buffalo, New York. Two i nterviews were conducted 18 months apart. Cross-lagged and synchronous stru ctural equation panel models were fit for both early and late onset of deli nquency groups with five types of delinquency: minor general, serious, prop erty, and violent offenses. The results showed a significant difference bet ween early-onset and late-onset groups concerning the relationship between substance use and delinquency. Early-onset models showed no causal relation ship between substance use and delinquency. The late-onset models showed th at minor offenses have significant lagged and synchronous positive effects on drug use, drug use exhibited significant lagged and synchronous positive effects on general offenses, and drinking has significant lagged and synch ronous negative effects on property offenses. The implications of these fin dings are discussed.