There are several claims that drug use and crime are closely related. Some claim that drug use causes crime, others that crime causes drug abuse, or that both drug use and crime share common origins. The most common belief is that drug use causes crime.
There are several explanations that are used when trying to prove this belief. The first of which is pharmacological explanations. This explanation states that the chemical properties of a drug have a direct impact on a human’s behavior. This theory is flawed because there are a limited number of drugs in which we know of its effects on human behavior and which of its chemical properties are responsible for these effects. This also does not take in account social context. There are several …show more content…
While this explanation seems plausible, it only takes into account crimes involving money and goods, such as theft, robbery, and burglary, but doesn’t explain violent crimes such as murder and assault.
The other common belief is that crime causes drug use. This is when an individual engages in criminal activity first, then drugs second, as a way to either facilitate, cope with or celebrate criminal activity. While both beliefs have good points, the word “cause” should never be used unless it is proven through experimentation. Just because crime and drugs are correlated, does not mean one causes the other.
I think the best explanation for the correlation between drug use and crime is that they both have common properties. I think they both create a similar stimulation in the brain that “feels good” and can be addictive to the participant. I also think that social factors also play a large role in the drug-crime connection. Those who have the easiest access to drugs are also more likely to be surrounded by criminals.
The labeling theory attempts to explain why individuals act criminal or deviant by stating that individuals behave criminal or deviant because of the labels that have been given to them. There are both an informal and official labeling
There are several explanations that are used when trying to prove this belief. The first of which is pharmacological explanations. This explanation states that the chemical properties of a drug have a direct impact on a human’s behavior. This theory is flawed because there are a limited number of drugs in which we know of its effects on human behavior and which of its chemical properties are responsible for these effects. This also does not take in account social context. There are several …show more content…
While this explanation seems plausible, it only takes into account crimes involving money and goods, such as theft, robbery, and burglary, but doesn’t explain violent crimes such as murder and assault.
The other common belief is that crime causes drug use. This is when an individual engages in criminal activity first, then drugs second, as a way to either facilitate, cope with or celebrate criminal activity. While both beliefs have good points, the word “cause” should never be used unless it is proven through experimentation. Just because crime and drugs are correlated, does not mean one causes the other.
I think the best explanation for the correlation between drug use and crime is that they both have common properties. I think they both create a similar stimulation in the brain that “feels good” and can be addictive to the participant. I also think that social factors also play a large role in the drug-crime connection. Those who have the easiest access to drugs are also more likely to be surrounded by criminals.
The labeling theory attempts to explain why individuals act criminal or deviant by stating that individuals behave criminal or deviant because of the labels that have been given to them. There are both an informal and official labeling