Variation in the Drug-Crime Relationship Across Rural-Urban Contexts

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

In the past several decades, a significant amount of research has examined the relationship between drug use and crime. Empirically, there appears to be some positive relationship between these phenomena, but the reasons for this are unclear. While scholars often focus on how individual characteristics may influence this relationship, there is emerging evidence that social context may matter as well. For example, the drug-crime relationship may not manifest in the same way or be as strong in some contexts where informal social controls are higher. One such context is rural areas, where substance use is comparable to urban areas but other crime remains low. Using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2019), the current study will seek to examine whether the relationship between substance use (including alcohol) and delinquency is moderated by rural contexts. Higher levels of informal social controls in rural areas are proposed as a possible mechanism in this relationship. The findings of this research will help fill the gap in the drug-crime literature concerning social context as well as contribute to the rural criminological literature regarding how crime manifests in these areas.

Author

• Jordan Pierce, University of Maryland, College Park