THE DRUGS-VIOLENCE NEXUS:

THREE MODELS

DEFINITION OF VIOLENCE• 1 A : EXERTION OF PHYSICAL FORCE SO AS TO INJURE OR ABUSE • B : AN INSTANCE OF VIOLENT TREATMENT OR PROCEDURE• 2 INJURY BY OR AS IF BY DISTORTION, INFRINGEMENT, OR PROFANATION• 3 A : INTENSE, TURBULENT, OR FURIOUS AND OFTEN DESTRUCTIVE ACTION

OR FORCE • B : VEHEMENT FEELING OR EXPRESSION : FERVOR; ALSO : AN INSTANCE

OF SUCH ACTION OR FEELING C : A CLASHING OR JARRING QUALITY : DISCORDANCE

• FBI INDEX OF CRIMES INCLUDES FOUR VIOLENT CRIMES ;MURDER, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, FORCIBLE RAPE AND ROBBERY

• DRUG USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN SERIOUS VIOLENT OFFENSES THAN NONUSERS

• DRUG USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO KILL AND BE KILLED THEN NONUSERS• MEDICAL EXAMINER IN LOS ANGELES, 1988 NOTED THAT 6 OUT OF 10

PEOPLE WITH COCAINE IN THEIR SYSTEMS HAD DIED A VIOLENT DEATH, TWO-THIRDS HAD BEEN SHOT OR STABBED, 1 IN 5 HAD BEEN COMMITTING VIOLENCE AGAINST ANOTHER PERSON BEFORE THEY DIED (BUDD, 1989)

• DRUG USE IS A LARGE PART OF THE WORLD OF VIOLENCE; THE FOLLOWING MODELS WILL EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DRUGS AND VIOLENCE

THE PSYCHOPHARMOLOGICAL MODEL

• DEFINITION: THE ARGUMENT THAT DRUGS(SPECIFICALLY COCAINE)AND VIOLENCE (SPECIFICALLY MURDER) ARE STRONGLY CONNECTED BECAUSE OF THE DIRECT EFFECTS OF COCAINE CONDUCE TOWARD OR CAUSE VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

• THIS IS THE MOST TRADITIONAL EXPLANATION AS TO WHY DRUGS AND VIOLENCE ARE CONNECTED.

• USERS THAT INGEST MORE THAN ONE SUBSTANCE, THEY “MAY BECOME EXCITABLE. IRRATIONAL, AND MAY EXHIBIT VIOLENT BEHAVIOR” (GOLDSTEIN, 1985, P. 494)

• ALTHOUGH THE EFFECTS OF THE OPIATES ARE NOT VIOLENT, THE “ IRRIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME….MAY LEAD TO VIOLENCE” (GOLDSTEIN, 1985, P. 495).

• A PERSON UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS IS MORE LIKELY TO BE A VICTIM…THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS MAY LEAD TO VIOLENCE

THE ECONOMIC-COMPULSIVE MODEL

• DEFINITION: THE ARGUMENT THAT MORE OR LESS ACCIDENTAL OR FORTUITOUS NARCOTICS ADDICTION CAUSES A LIFE THAT REVOLVES AROUND ENGAGING IN MONEYMAKING CRIMES; IT IS DRUG ADDICTION THAT CAUSES CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR; CONSISTENT WITH THE MEDICAL MODEL; SEE ALSO :” PREDISPOSITION MODEL,” “INTENSIFICATION MODEL.”

• RESEARCHERS ARGUE THAT :• ADDICTS NEED LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY QUICKLY • BECAUSE OF THIS THEY ENGAGE N HIGH RISK CRIMES, THEFT, ROBBERY

AND BURGLARY• BOTH THE VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR ARE UNEASY DURING A ROBBERY

OR BURGLARY AND THIS MAY LEAD TO REACTIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE VIOLENT OUTCOMES

THE SYSTEMIC MODEL

• DEFINITION: THE ARGUMENT THAT THE REASON THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DRUGS AND VIOLENCE IS SO STRONG IS BECAUSE THE WORLD OF COCAINE DEALING IS INHERENTLY CONFLICTUAL, CONFRONTATIONAL, AND EXPLOITATIVE-AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE DIERCT EFFECTS OF COCAINE.

• THE DRUG WORLD HAD A HIGH VIOLENCE RATE • NO PROTECTION FROM THE LAW• DRUG SELLERS/DEALERS CARRY A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND ARE

TARGETS• DRUG SELLERS/DEALERS ARE EASILY ARRESTED AND TURNED IN BY

INFORMANTS• OTHER SELLERS/DEALERS ATTEMPT TO TAKE OVER TERRITORIIS• SYSETMIC VIOLENCE REFERS TO : “THE TRADITIONALLY AGGRESSIVE

PATTERNS OF INTERACTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF DRUG DISTRIBUTION AND USE.”

• SELLERS/DEALERS AND USERS CAUGHT IN THIS LIFESTYLE KNOW THE RISKS INVOLVED AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL ON A DAILY BASIS

WHICH MODEL MAKES THE MOST SENSE?

• AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CRACK CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS WANTED TO KNOW WHICH MODEL BEST EXPLAINS THE STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRUG USE AND VIOLENCE (GOLDSTEIN ET AL, 1989)

• FROM A SAMPLE OF HOMICIDE EVENTS (414) , 118 WERE CRACK RELATED HOMICIDES.• 3% WERE CAUSED BY THE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG• 7 % WERE ECONOMIC-COMPULSIVE IN ORIGIN• 85 % COULD BE EXPLAINED BY THE SYSTEMIC MODEL• THE CRACK BUSINESS IS UNSTABLE , UNORGANIZED, NO ONE IS IN CHARGE, IT IS SO

INEXPENSIVE THAT ANYONE CAN GET INTO THE BUSINESS.