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Source: Western Society of Criminology
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Roussell, Aaron
Omori, Marisa
Situating Drug Use Over the Lifecourse: Using Empirical Findings to Attempt to Build Theory
Presented: Vancouver, BC, Western Society Of Criminology, 38th Annual Conference, February 3-5, 2011.
Also: http://westerncriminology.org/documents/conference_proceedings/WSC_2011_Conference_Program.pdf
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Western Society of Criminology
Keyword(s): Census of Population; Crime; Drug Use; Geographical Variation; Modeling, Growth Curve/Latent Trajectory Analysis

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

This project explores drug use over the life course with data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. We examine dichotomous indicators for multiple drugs for a sample of youth, using growth trajectory models to describe trajectories over 5 time points (1984-2002). Using individual NLSY variables and county data from the US Census, we frame our analysis within a structural context. Though criminological theorizing about issues of drugs and addiction is scattered, we draw on two perspectives that consider within-individual drug use over time. Caspi and Moffitt's developmental approach emphasizes the relative stability of antisocial behavior over the life course, including drug abuse. Sampson and Laub's life course perspective, on the other hand, acknowledges the heterogeneity of offending over time in the form of "turning points" such as marriage. Based on our preliminary findings, we would like to explore alternative theoretical frameworks for understanding addiction sociologically and criminologically.
Bibliography Citation
Roussell, Aaron and Marisa Omori. "Situating Drug Use Over the Lifecourse: Using Empirical Findings to Attempt to Build Theory." Presented: Vancouver, BC, Western Society Of Criminology, 38th Annual Conference, February 3-5, 2011.