Title

Epidemiological Criminology: Drug Use Among African American Gang Members

Keywords

Differential association; Drug abuse; Epidemiological criminology; Gangs; Health belief model

Abstract

Epidemiological methods and public health theories can be tied to theories of crime and delinquency and used to create evidence-based policy. Interdisciplinary theoretical approaches to existing, and emerging, public health and criminal justice problems hold great promise. Differential association theory postulates that close association with delinquent peers leads to an increase in deviant activities such as illicit drug use. Social cognitive theory postulates that health behavior change is driven by the interaction of (a) cognitive states that support a health outcome, (b) the social and contextual environment, (c) and individual action. Combined, these theories can be applied to drug eradication programs as well as other health and crime issues. Focus groups and interviews were performed to identify rates of illicit substance use among incarcerated African American adolescent male gang members and nongang members. The policy recommendations illustrate the convergence of criminological and epidemiological theory under the new paradigm of epidemiological criminology or "EpiCrim." © The Author(s) 2010.

Publication Date

1-1-2010

Publication Title

Journal of Correctional Health Care

Volume

16

Issue

1

Number of Pages

6-16

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1177/1078345809348199

Socpus ID

72749089868 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/72749089868

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