The drug abstainer

ABSTRACT

This paper uses data on tenth graders from the 2016 Caring Communities Youth Survey (CCYS) to examine the lifetime abstainer from drugs. The abstainer has been a part of Life Course Development literature; within each of the several ages of onset models. Using a model which examines the abstainer from each drug and all drugs, the effect of Prosocial Factors (peer and school) are examined. Findings indicate a very low relationship between high protective/prosocial factors and abstaining. The research of Moffitt that there may be several subtypes of abstainers is supported.

KEYWORDS:

• Delinquency
• drug use
• abstainers
• poly drug users

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Craig J. Forsyth

Craig J. Forsyth is Professor of Sociology, a Picard Fellow, and holds the Jack and Gladys Theall/BORSF Professorship in Liberal Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is the author of over 300 journal articles and book chapters. He is the author of The American Merchant Seaman: Struggle and Stigma (Taylor & Francis, 1989); coauthor (with Anthony Margavio) of Caught in the Net: The Conflict Between Shrimpers and Conservationists (Texas A&M Press, 1996); and coauthor (with Heith Copes) of the Encyclopedia of Social Deviance (Sage, 2014). His principal research interests are in the areas of deviance, crime, and delinquency. He received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. He received both his BA and MA at the University of New Orleans.

Jing Chen

Jing Chen is a research associate working at Picard center for child development and lifelong learning. She is currently working toward a PhD in computer science at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her research interests include data mining and visualization.

Raymond W. Biggar

Raymond W. Biggar, Jr., Ph.D.is a Senior Research Scientist the Cecil J. Picard Center for Child Development and Lifelong Learning at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has eight years of experience working in evaluative research and project management in the areas of school climate, mental health and juvenile justice. He is also an adjunct associate professor in the department of counselor education.

York A. Forsyth

York A. Forsyth has a BS in management information systems and a MA in Political Science. He has co-authored numerous articles on piracy, juvenile delinquency, poachers, and game wardens. He is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. He is also a two time recipient of the Junior Scholar award from the International Studies Association. He is currently a graduate student in informatics and a Data Analyst at South Louisiana Community college.