The prospective relations between drug abuse and girls' delinquency Ban Pranee training centre for girls

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the causes and effects of drug abuse, the causes of girls' delinquency and the relations between drug abuse and girls' delinquency in Ban Pranee Training Centre for girls. Department of Youth Observation and Protection, Ministry of Justice, Thailand. There were 30 respondents as a sample group. Data was collected by in-depth interview. The results of the study were analyzed by content analysis and supported with concept and literature review. Background analysis revealed as age range of 13 - 17 years old, with an initial drug abuse age of 9 - 16 years, most only had a primary level of education. Parents of sample groups were employees and wage earners, they were divorced or separated. They often quarreled and were poverty stricken. They lived in or nearby to a congested community, which was the source of drug abuse. Most of the sample group preferred to join activities with peers more than their family. Causes of delinquency: due to lack of effective parenting skills, including poverty, frequent quarreling and shortage of income, children were impulsive, stressed and frustrated. So, they also released frustration through learning deviance behavior with their friends and activities such as selling and consuming methamphetamines. Besides this, relations were frequently drunk or siblings were involved in offending drug abuse cases, influencing children to imitate the same behavior. Relations between drug abuse and girls' delinquency: the sample groups believe that effecting drug abuse enables them to dare to perpetrate a delinquency because it stimulates the nervous system, giving enthusiasm and joy. Joining with their friend's delinquency, increasing the opportunity to commit a crime, such as drug abuse, robbery, assault and murder, were all examples of resulting behavior. From this study, it can be recommended that the family institution is an important factor for parenting children. At this age so parents should notice behaviors involved with drug abuse, such as smokin