Citation

Phillips Ashwill R.. Child Abuse Res. South Afr. 2020; 21(2): 1-10.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children)

DOI

10.10520/ejc-carsa-v21-n2-a1

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Regarding large-scale social disorganisation, poverty and unemployment in contemporary South Africa, many youths are exposed to alcohol and illicit substances in the family and community context. Substance use typically leads to an upsurge in economic offences, while the illicit drug-trade frequently engenders violent transgressions. The availability and exposure to alcohol and illicit substances often also increases the propensity for youths to experiment with these substances, potentially leading to addiction and a significant number of youths coming into conflict with the law. In addition, a large proportion of the youth populace may be at risk of jeopardising their social goals, destabilising their bond to the family, and becoming detached from school or other prosocial activities. Moreover, substance use is typified by academic failure, increased susceptibility for youth-gang membership and a surge in impulsive, hedonistic and violent behaviour. Several authors concur by emphasising that more individuals are detained for narcotics-related offences in comparison to any other, with arrestees frequently testing positive for illicit substance use. Both first-time and repeat offenders are often also under the influence of alcohol or illicit substances whilst contravening the law. Against this background, a qualitative approach was utilised, to gauge the unique experiences and views of youth regarding their use of and exposure to alcohol and illicit substances in their social milieu. Data was obtained using a purposive sample of 20 detained male youths and analysed by frequency and percentage distributions together with narrative accounts from the participants. The findings revealed that the majority of youth in the sample (60%) regard the frequent use of alcohol and illicit substances as a pertinent predictor for youth misconduct and as a key factor that contributed to their most recent transgression. It is thus envisaged that these findings will stimulate further research and facilitate the expansion of knowledge regarding the use of alcohol and illicit substances as a fundamental socio-criminogenic risk factor associated with youth offending.

Language: en