There has been an acknowledgement that violence is not just a crime problem, but that it is also an important public health problem. Evidence strongly suggests that violence committed by youth is on the rise, that drug use is continuing in serious youth offenders, and that drugs may be a major contributing factor to this violence towards others. The primary purpose of the proposed research project is to gain insight into the link between drug use and trafficking and violence committed by youth. The proposed study builds upon the procedures and findings developed in prior studies conducted by the research team. Youth who have been remanded to the care and custody of the New York State Division for Youth (DFY) for violent personal crimes will be interviewed. Interviews will focus on subject's prior involvement in drug use; crime and violence; family functioning; peer relations, including gangs; exposure to violence and abuse as both victim and witness; availability, use, and ownership of guns; personality characteristics; and the community in which he/she grew up. A detailed elaboration of the violent crime for which the youth was remanded to DFY custody will also be obtained during interviewing. Official record data will also be obtained from DFY. The research employs a tripartite model of the general relationship between drugs and violence, which facilitates an assessment of the nature and scope of the relationship between drug use and distribution and violence committed by youth. Knowledge gained on this project will provide clues as to program and policy initiatives for drug and violence prevention and intervention approaches for youth.
