Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-234). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2001. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-234).

Research was completed on a 300-person sample of 1985 arrestees in Jacksonville, Florida. The original focus of the study was to explore the possible relationship between crime and chemical use. Data was obtained from forms that were routinely used in the jail booking and interview process. Two booking/intake forms were used: The Arrest and Booking Report and the Medical Screening Information (P-075) form. Only 24 arrestees in the 300-person sample admitted to using chemicals. Hence, the data did not support the hypothesis of this thesis that a correlational relationship exists between crime and chemical use. This researcher observed and interviewed medical personnel closely and reviewed both forms used in the study to determine why chemical use data was under-represented in the sample. Organizational and individual deviance by the medical staff was discovered. The nurses had not asked chemical use questions during a majority of the medical screening interviews.

The current research analyzed the relationship between methamphetamine use, cocaine use and marijuana use within the last 12 months and crime committed within the last 12 months. Crime is defined as drug sales, property and violent crime. The research design is a quantitative approach which uses secondary data analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to provide evidence toward the research question; does illegal drug use increase the risk of committing a crime?The public access, 2008 Wave III data results of this nationally representative sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12 in the US in the 1994-95 school year was used for analysis. Methamphetamine use was associated with an increased risk of committing all crime, only until cocaine use was controlled for. Once cocaine use was controlled for, methamphetamine use became non-significant. Cocaine use and marijuana use were significant and associated with an increased use of committing a crime.

Substance abuse is a pervasive problem across the world. The most commonly abused substanc-es include tobacco, alcohol and dagga. In teenagers, research has found out that substance abuse is often linked to multiple factors such as scholastic problems, mental and health problems, risky sexual behaviour, accidents, crime and violence. The present study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitudes of teenagers towards substance abuse in an informal settlement. The target population were teenage girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 19. A mixed method approach was employed in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and used to collect data. This questionnaire contained both closed and open ended questions. The Statis-tical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Findings show that teen-agers have adequate knowledge and appropriate attitudes towards substance abuse. However, the results also indicate that the provision of information on substance abuse remains important in shaping attitudes of young people. Interventions such as awareness campaigns, focus group discussions, education and developmental programmes that contribute to knowledge on the impact of and ways to control substance abuse are recommended / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Substance abuse amongst children is a major problem in South Africa and world-wide. The trend of new drugs entering the drug market has increased in South Africa. Currently in South Africa, there is a new drug on the market known as “nyaope” being abused mostly by adolescents in the Townships. The negative consequences of substance abuse affect not only individuals who abuse substances but also their parents and significant others. The researcher observed that most literature in the field of substance abuse focuses on the children addressing issues such as causes, effects, psychological impact and others. Very little is documented on parents‟ experiences and coping capabilities as well as the support they need or receive. This further contributed to the researcher‟s purpose of conduct this study to explore parents‟ experience and support needs with regard to their children‟s addiction to nyaope. / MA (Social Work)

Substance abuse is a pervasive problem across the world. The most commonly abused substanc-es include tobacco, alcohol and dagga. In teenagers, research has found out that substance abuse is often linked to multiple factors such as scholastic problems, mental and health problems, risky sexual behaviour, accidents, crime and violence. The present study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitudes of teenagers towards substance abuse in an informal settlement. The target population were teenage girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 19. A mixed method approach was employed in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and used to collect data. This questionnaire contained both closed and open ended questions. The Statis-tical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Findings show that teen-agers have adequate knowledge and appropriate attitudes towards substance abuse. However, the results also indicate that the provision of information on substance abuse remains important in shaping attitudes of young people. Interventions such as awareness campaigns, focus group discussions, education and developmental programmes that contribute to knowledge on the impact of and ways to control substance abuse are recommended / Psychology / M. A. (Psychology)

Substance abuse amongst children is a major problem in South Africa and world-wide. The trend of new drugs entering the drug market has increased in South Africa. Currently in South Africa, there is a new drug on the market known as “nyaope” being abused mostly by adolescents in the Townships. The negative consequences of substance abuse affect not only individuals who abuse substances but also their parents and significant others. The researcher observed that most literature in the field of substance abuse focuses on the children addressing issues such as causes, effects, psychological impact and others. Very little is documented on parents‟ experiences and coping capabilities as well as the support they need or receive. This further contributed to the researcher‟s purpose of conduct this study to explore parents‟ experience and support needs with regard to their children‟s addiction to nyaope. / MA (Social Work)

This study was designed to understand the meaning of the lived experiences of incarcerated male juveniles who had committed drug-related crimes and to suggest guidelines for their rehabilitation with specific reference to their health care needs. In order to achieve these objectives, the researcher used Parse’s (1998) Theory of Human Becoming as a theoretical framework for the study and Parse’s (1998, 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic research method. This study was restricted to three juvenile correctional centres in the Gauteng province, Republic of South Africa (RSA). A sample of 15 male juveniles (5 at each of the three juvenile correctional centres) was used for the purpose of individual dialogical engagements with the participants. Focus group interview sessions were held with two groups (5 members per group) at two identified juvenile correctional centres. A qualitative content analysis according to methods recommended by Graneheim and Lundman (2004) was performed on the data that was collected from the individual dialogical-engagements and the focus group interviews. The researcher attempted to elucidate the meanings that the participants attached to their experiences of incarceration as narrated by them and analysed the data according to Parse’s (1998; 2005) phenomenological-hermeneutic method comprising of extraction-synthesis and heuristic interpretation. The findings of this research confirm that problems of drug abuse and criminal activity represent a multifaceted, complex and often intractable phenomenon. The research also confirmed that the participants suffer from a variety of emotional and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, remorse, regret and a craving for the drugs that they had abused before their incarceration. It appears that the participants find it extremely difficult to deal effectively with these disorders on their own and that they are generally averse to asking for professional help and assistance. Interventions to alleviate these problems are crucial for the success of the current rehabilitation programmes being pursued in the correctional centres where the participants are accommodated. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Kaapse Vlakte, die konteks vir die studie, word onder andere gekenmerk deur sy lae sosio-ekonomiese status, hoë werkloosheid, bende-aktiwiteite, gesinsgeweld, gebroke gesinstrukture en dwelmafhanklikheid. Tienerdogters wat in gemeenskappe op die Kaapse Vlakte opgroei, word daagliks aan hierdie hindernisse blootgestel, wat hulle meer vatbaar maak vir die misbruik van dwelmmiddels. Die doel van die studie was om tienermeisies in ’n benadeelde gemeenskap wat dwelmmiddels gebruik, se perspektiewe met betrekking tot dwelmmisbruik te ondersoek. Die studie het ’n genderperspektief aangeneem, met ander woorde dit het vroue as subjekte sentraal geplaas en hulle probleem met dwelmmisbruik ondersoek. Min navorsing oor dwelmmisbruik fokus op vroue, ten spyte van ’n veronderstelling dat misbruik onder vroue ernstige gevolge vir die samelewing inhou. Aangesien ek gepoog het om hierdie tienermeisies se behoeftes aan ondersteuning en moontlike maniere waarop hierdie behoeftes aangespreek kan word, te verstaan en te beskryf, het ek van ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak en die studie vanuit ’n interprevistiese paradigma benader. Data is met behulp van onderhoude, persoonlike refleksies en observasies bekom. Die navorsingsbevindinge het getoon dat die tienerdogters se huislike omstandighede deur enkelouerskap en afwesige vaderskap vererger word, dat daar ’n gebrek aan kommunikasie tuis is en dat hulle behoeftes aan liefde en emosionele sekuriteit uitspreek. Die tienerdogters voer aan dat hulle dwelms gebruik om van hul probleme tuis te ontvlug. In hierdie studie oor tienerdogters se redes vir en perspektiewe ten opsigte van dwelmmisbruik, toon data dat hulle duidelike behoeftes aan ondersteuning het - tuis sowel as in die samelewing waarin hulle leef. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Cape Flats is characterized by low socio-economic status, high unemployment, gang activities, crime, domestic violence, broken family structures and drug dependency. As a teenage girl, living in communities on the Cape Flats, there is often the possibility of being vulnerable to the misuse of drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of teenage girls using drugs in a disadvantaged community. The study adopted a gendered perspective that places women as subjects central to the problem of drug abuse. Little research focuses on women using drugs despite the consequences it poses for society. The study attempts to understand and describe teenage girls’ need for support as well as ways in which their needs can be addressed. A qualitative interpretivist research design was used to gain insight into and understanding of the participants’ perspectives. The data were collected by means of interviews, reflective diaries and observations. The research findings indicate that single parenting and absent fathers worsen the teenage girls’ home circumstances, that there is a lack of communication at home and that they express a need for love and emotional security. Furthermore, teenage girls use drugs to escape from the problems they face at home. The results suggest a need for adequate and appropriate support in the home environment as well as in society.