NCJ Number
52624
Date Published
1976
Length
47 pages
Annotation
LITERATURE PERTAINING TO THE EFFECTS OF ARREST AND OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION AS A DRUG ABUSER OR DRUG ADDICT ON THE ADOLESCENT'S SELF-IMAGE AND SUBSEQUENT BEHAVIOR IS REVIEWED.
Abstract
NO EMPIRICAL WORK DEALING DIRECTLY WITH THE SUBJECT AT HAND WAS FOUND, BUT THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL LITERATURE ON RELATED TOPICS--LABELING THEORY, SELF-CONCEPT, EFFECTS OF OFFICIAL APPREHENSION, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM (THE IDEA THAT SELF-CONCEPT IS A PRODUCT OF INTERACTION WITH OTHERS), ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR, AND DRUG ABUSE. THE DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON HOW RESEARCH AND THEORETICAL EXPLORATIONS IN THESE AREAS CONTRIBUTE INDIVIDUALLY OR IN COMBINATION TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF ARRESTING AND OFFICIALLY IDENTIFYING ADOLESCENTS AS ADDICTS OR DRUG ABUSERS. LABELING THEORY, WHICH HOLDS THAT SOCIETAL REACTION TO BEHAVIOR DEFINED AS UNLAWFUL OR DEVIANT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SELF-CONCEPT AND BEHAVIOR OF THE LABELED PERSON, IS A USEFUL PERSPECTIVE BUT TENDS TO OVERLOOK THE EFFECT OF SELF-LABELING AND LABELING BY INFORMAL GROUPS OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, WHICH COULD INSULATE AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE EFFECTS OF OFFICIAL OR FORMAL LABELING. FUTHERMORE, OFFICIAL LABELING CAN WORK IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION, I.E., OFFICIAL LABELERS MAY WELL PROVIDE AN ADOLESCENT WITH A POSITIVE LABEL WITHIN HIS OR HER REFERENT PEER GROUP RATHER THAN THE INTENDED NEGATIVE LABEL, THE REFERENT OF WHICH IS THE LARGER, CONVENTIONAL SOCIETY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS AND STRATEGIES THAT CAN NEUTRALIZE THE LABELING PROCESS, AND AS NEUTRALIZATION OCCURS, LITTLE CHANGE IN SELF-CONCEPT OR BEHAVIOR IS LIKELY TO RESULT FROM THE PROCESS. TWO EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF LABELING PRODUCED RESULTS WITH UNCLEAR IMPLICATIONS. SUBSEQUENT DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WAS FOUND TO BE INCREASED BY APPREHENSION. A WEAK POSITIVE CORRELATION WAS FOUND BETWEEN PERCEPTION OF SELF AS DELINQUENT AND OFFICIAL APPREHENSION, A WEAK NEGATIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN PERCEPTION OF SELF AS DELINQUENT AND SELF-ESTEEM, AND NO CORRELATION BETWEEN SELF-ESTEEM AND APPREHENSION. THE DRUG ABUSE LITERATURE, WHICH DEALS PRIMARILY WITH HEROIN ADDICTION AND MARIHUANA USE, SUGGESTS THAT MARIHUANA USERS COMMITTED TO AN IDEOLOGY WHICH VIEWS DRUG ABUSE POSITIVELY WOULD BE UNAFFECTED BY APPREHENSION. HOWEVER, THE ONE-TIME OR EXPERIMENTAL USER MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS IN SELF-ESTEEM AS THE RESULT OF APPREHENSION. HEROIN USERS, TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE CO-OPTED BY SOCIETY IN TREATMENT PROGRAMS, MAY WELL COME TO VIEW THEMSELVES AS TRUE DEVIANTS, THEREBY LOSING SELF-ESTEEM. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THERE REMAINS A NEED FOR SYSTEMATIC EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF APPREHENSION FOR DRUG LAW VIOLATION ON ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT. A 14-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)