Associations Between Substance Use and Perceptions of Risks and Rewards of Offending: A Within-Individuals Analysis

• In Event: The Role of Social Context and Substance Use in Altering Decisions to Offend Across the Life-Course

Abstract

Youth substance use is an important area of research that requires consideration of both individual and social characteristics. Prior research has established a relationship between perceptions of risks and rewards of offending and substance use primarily through research comparing those who use drugs to those who do not. This study adds to the literature by examining within-individual changes in differential substance use (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs) and perceptions of risks and rewards of offending using measures from the Pathways to Desistance dataset. We also consider whether peer substance use attenuates this relationship. Preliminary results reveal that the relationship between substance use and perceptions vary depending on type of substance. Important implications include policy considerations and future research investigating the relationship between the differential impact of specific substances and perceptions of risks and rewards.

Authors

• Anna Newell, Pennsylvania State University

• Yu Du, North Carolina A&T State University

• Holly Nguyen, Pennsylvania State University