engleski

Self-Reported Substance Use and Delinquent Behaviour among Croatian Youth

The aim of the study was to examine the occurrence of youth self-reported substance use, delinquent behaviour, and the relationship among them, in regard to gender and age. Data were obtained during 1998, using a representative sample of Croatian secondary school students (N=2, 823). The delinquent behaviour questionnaire encompassed 36 specific behaviours, which were categorized into six types, ranging from deviant behaviour to serious crime. Occurrences of delinquent behaviour vary from 80.8% for deviant behaviour to 5.5% for drug abuse. Additionally, 21.2% of the sample used drugs, and 91.4% consumed alcohol, at least once during their life. Male students, compared to female, reported a greater number of committed delinquent acts of all types, and more frequent substance use. Students that had used substances for the first time before age of 14, reported greater number of committed delinquent acts of all types, regardless of their current age.Differences in the average number of committed acts of all six types were statistically significant between drug users, alcohol users and nonusers. Among offenders of all types of delinquent behaviours the percentage of alcohol users, as well as drug users, was several times higher compared to nonusers.The obtained data confirmed that substance use represents a risk factor for delinquency, especially with regard to serious types of offences.

self-reported substance use, delinquent behaviour, risk factor, types of offences

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