The effect of drug treatment on criminal behavior among adolescents in DATOS-A

This study examined criminal activity among 1,167 adolescents who participa ted in a community-based substance abuse treatment study (Drug Abuse Treatm ent Outcome Studies for Adolescents) (DATOS-A). The primary goals of this s tudy were to assess the effect of substance abuse treatment on adolescent c rime and to identify the patient characteristics that were most closely ass ociated with reductions in crime during the posttreatment period. Results c onfirmed that among adolescents who had engaged in criminal activity during the 12 months prior to entering DATOS-A treatment, reductions in alcohol o r marijuana use were independently associated with significant reductions i n the likelihood of committing crimes during the 12-month follow-up period. The present study also provides further support for emphasizing dynamic ra ther than static patient characteristics to predict the likelihood of conti nued drug-related offending among substance-abusing adolescents.