Substance use and delinquent behavior: a case study of adolescents in the Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals (KETHEA) in Greece.

• In Event: Common and Less Common Youth Crimes: Examples from Israel, Greece, Poland, Spain & UK

Abstract

The extent, expressions and causality of adolescent delinquency has attracted much attention in criminological theory and research. Behaviors such as theft, violence, vandalism, gang membership, truancy, running away for home, bullying have all been studied from various perspectives and assessed differentially. Among the behaviors that are of concern is the use of illegal drugs and alcohol per se and in interdependence with other forms of delinquency.
Although for some adolescents all the above can represent a stage of ‘experimentation’ and ‘testing limits’ for others leads to addiction and in turn to seeking help. In this study we report data from a group of adolescents who receive treatment in the Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals (KETHEA) in Athens, Greece.
Longitudinal data for this study are collected from individuals seeking treatment at KETHEA. The Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) questionnaires designed by the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, are administered to adolescents during their initial meeting.
In our analysis we focus on the association between substance use and delinquent behavior of adolescents requesting treatment. Specifically, we examine the impact of age of onset of illicit substance use, family environment, school dropout, main substance of abuse, and physical and mental health history on an adolescent's potential involvement with the law and the justice system. Specific consideration is given to potential differences between pre-COVID and post-COVID period.

Authors

• Vasiliki Petousi, University of Crete, Greece

• Ioannis Zacharopoulos, Therapy Center for Dependent Individuals (KETHEA), Greece