A Longitudinal Analysis of Criminal and Aggressive Behaviors Among a National Sample of Adults in Mutual-Help Recovery Homes

Abstract

Criminal and aggressive behaviors are frequently observed among those recovering from substance abuse problems. In the present one-year longitudinal study, a national sample of residents from self-governed, communal-living recovery homes for substance abuse completed baseline and follow-up measures of criminal and aggressive behavior. Results indicated that a length of stay of 6 months or longer was associated with lower levels of self-reported criminal and aggressive behaviors at the one-year follow-up. Environmental mechanisms proposed as influences for these outcomes, as well as treatment implications, are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• crime
• aggression
• recovery homes
• Oxford House

Portions of this article were based on the master's thesis of the first author. This research was financially supported by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant number DA13231).