Data & Trends
Prevent Juvenile Delinquency
Trends: Illicit Drug Use in the Past Month (Numbers in Thousands)
Illicit drug use in the past month: These data are for youth ages 12-17 from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, where estimated numbers (in thousands) are annual averages based on 2-year surveys. It is important to note that self-reported measures generally underestimate the real numbers of youth engaging in drug use by anywhere from 1.5% (for cocaine use) to 10.2% (for marijuana use), when results are compared to drug tests[1]. Other measures of delinquency were considered, such as juvenile arrests, however state comparison data for juvenile arrests are unavailable due to reporting inconsistencies among state jurisdictions. Nevertheless, illicit drug use can serve as a reliable proxy for delinquency because of the strong association between the two variables[2].
- United States
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[1] Harrison, L. D., Martin, S. S., Enev, T., & Harrington, D. (2007). Comparing drug testing and self-report of drug use among youths and young adults in the general population (DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4249, Methodology Series M-7). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies.
[2] Greenwood, P. (2008). Prevention and Intervention Programs for Juvenile Offenders. Available Online.