NCJ Number
150350
Journal
Human Organization Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1993) Pages: 89-96
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Interviews with 100 individuals, including 34 adolescent dealers of crack cocaine, in two public housing projects in Florida formed the basis of a pilot study of drug dealing in these projects.
Abstract
The participants were selected by snowball sampling. Each interview lasted approximately 1 hour. Results revealed that the majority of young dealers were not longer in school, and 61 percent were unemployed. Most of the adolescents' income from crack dealing went to luxury items or expenses related to drug dealing and not to help support their family. Most young dealers also indicated that they were not currently using crack. Their involvement in drug dealing appeared to be for economic gain. Those who sold crack in the past week reported average gross sales of $672, and the estimated median financial worth of the adolescent dealers was $2,500. Sixty-seven percent of the dealers said that they had killed or hurt someone; 82 percent indicated that adults use children to sell cocaine to avoid the harsh criminal penalties for adult offenders. They regarded violence or death on the streets, rather than arrests and long prison terms, as the major risks of crack dealing. Findings indicated that interventions should emphasize law enforcement and the development of vocational and educational skills and that rehabilitation efforts should include parents and other relevant family members. Tables and 27 references (Author abstract modified)