NCJ Number
70626
Date Published
1976
Length
227 pages
Annotation
Social control theory is used to develop hypotheses for recidivism of narcotic addicts, and the hypotheses are empirically tested.
Abstract
Based on the theoretical framework used in thhe study, the following hypotheses were developed: (1) the greater the addict's attachment to others who support continued narcotics use prior to treatment, the greater the liklihood he/she will reelapse after treatment; (2) the greater the addict's involvement in the drug subculture prior to treatment, the greater the likelihood the subject will relapse after treatment; (3) the greater the addict's belief in and commitment to a drug-oriented lifstyle prior to treatment, the greater the likelihood the addict will relapse after treatment; and (4) the greater the number of interpersonal relations that cast the drug user in the role of addict prior to treatment and the greater the number of official contacts with social control agencies prior to treatment, the greater the liklihood the addict will relapse after treatment. A total of 314 respondents included all blacks and whites who completed the intake interview at the time of admission to the Clinical Research Center at Lexington, Kentucky, and had been interviewed in the Johns Hopkins followup study (July 1967 through June 1971). Independent variables were personal and social controls that function to promote continued drug use, and the dependent variable was treatment outcome. The findings suggest that involvement in the drug subculture is not in and of itself a precursor of relapse to narcotics use. The interaction of particular subcultural influences with individual predilections apparently determined treatment outcome. Finding's indicate that treatment programs should aim toward changing personal controls that function to promote continued drug use and repalce them with controls that promote abstinence. Supplementary material is appended, and tabular data and approximately 115 references are provided.