Trevor Bennett

The ‘code of the street’ and the generation of street violence in the UK:

Just over 10 years ago, Anderson (1999) published Code of the Street, which described a behavioural code that both generated and regulated street violence in the inner-city suburbs of Philadelphia. Since then, there has been some research conducted in the United States that has tested further the concept of a street code, but little similar work in Europe exists. In this paper, we explore narratives of incidents of street violence provided by convicted violent offenders. Examples are given of violence that appears to have the characteristics of code-following of the kind described by Anderson (1999). The paper notes the potential importance of the existence of a ‘code of the street’ in the United Kingdom in understanding and responding to street violence.

The impact of take-home naloxone distribution and training on opiate overdose knowledge and response: An evaluation of the THN Project in Wales

Aims: To determine the impact of naloxone training on knowledge of opiate overdose and confidence and willingness to take appropriate action and to examine the use of naloxone and other harm-reduction actions at the time of overdose events. Methods: The evaluation was based on a repeated-measure design, whereby clients were tested before and after training. In total, 521 opiate users and four non-opiate users, drawn from five community sites (362) and three prison locations (163), completed pre- and post-test self-completed questionnaires. Actions taken at the time of overdose events by the naloxone group and a comparison group were compared using forms completed by agency staff. Findings: Knowledge about how to recognise and respond to overdose events increased among trainees across all measures. So too did perceived confidence in responding to them and willingness to carry out the recommended procedures. Over the course of the evaluation, there were 28 recorded uses of naloxone, resulting in 27 recoveries and one fatality. Conclusions: The study has shown that training in overdose management and the use of naloxone can bring about significant improvements in knowledge and willingness to take action. THN trainees also demonstrated that they were able to use naloxone successfully in overdose events.

The Association Between Multiple Drug Misuse and Crime

Research that has investigated the association between specific drug types and crime has tended to focus on the specific drug type in isolation from other drugs. The main problem with this is that it cannot be assumed that the association between specific drug use and crime will be the same regardless of the additional drugs consumed. The research aimed to investigate whether there was a correlation between number and type of drugs used and involvement in crime. The analysis of multiple drug use was based on data collected as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program in the United Kingdom. The results showed that both the number of drug types consumed and the particular drug type combinations used explained offending rate. The research concluded that the investigation of links between multiple drug use and crime might help inform antidrugs strategies and treatment services.

Exploring the Offender’s Perspective: Observing and Interviewing Criminals

The offender’s perspective is perhaps the most neglected area of criminological inquiry (see, for example, Walker, 1984). This perspective, however, is of crucial importance to the formulation of both theory and policy. In regard to theory, for example, the factors often observed to be associated with crime must be linked to criminality through the perceptions and decision making of offenders. As Glueck (quoted in Bovet, 1951 p. 20) has suggested, “A factor cannot be a cause before it is a motive.” Somewhat similarly, Toch (1987 p. 152) has argued that “criminology can benefit by illuminating the ‘black box’ (offender perspectives) that intervenes between conventional independent variables (criminogenic influences) and dependent variables (antisocial behavior).” And Walker (1984) has gone so far as to maintain that criminological theorists are “wasting their time” (p. viii) if they do not consider what he calls the “states of mind” (p. viii) that lead up to criminal offenses.

Gender differences in drug misuse and related problem behaviors among arrestees in the UK.

Traditionally, the addiction literature has focused on male drug users and less attention has been given to female users. More recently, research investigating gender differences in drug use and associated problem behaviors has emerged. This article contributes to the growing research base by drawing on data collected from structured interviews with 2,682 male and 453 female arrestees conducted as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (1999–2002) program. Clear gender differences in drug use and associated behaviors are identified. Women were found to be more serious drug users and to experience more associated problems than men. The research and policy implications of the research are discussed and the studys limitations are noted.

Prescription Drug Misuse among University Staff and Students: A Survey of Motives, Nature and Extent.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and nature of prescription drug misuse among university staff and students in the UK. Methods: In 2009, an online questionnaire regarding non-medical use of prescription drugs was completed by 1614 students and 489 staff registered at a large university in Wales. The sample data were weighted to match the population of students and staff and were analysed using SPSS. Findings: The lifetime prevalence of prescription drug misuse (using prescription drugs not prescribed to the person) was 33% among students and 24% among staff. The main medications misused were pain relievers, followed by sedatives and sleeping aids. The main motives for misusing prescription drugs were to gain therapeutic benefit and ‘to get high’. Conclusions: The study shows that a notable proportion of staff and students at the university used prescription drugs in a way that was not intended. The discussion draws attention to a debate about whether all forms of non-medical drug use should be regarded as misuse. The implications of non-medical use include health risks to the user as well as hidden social and economic costs. More research should be done to generate a more in-depth understanding of prescription drug misuse.

The Role of Violence in Street Crime A Qualitative Study of Violent Offenders

Studies on the motivation for violent street crime, such as robbery and assault, have tended to draw on either the rational choice or the subcultural perspective. This study explores the extent to which violence on the street can be explained by rational factors associated with the successful commission of the offence or social factors related to street culture. The study is based on qualitative interviews with 55 violent street offenders who were serving sentences for street robbery and assault in six prisons in the United Kingdom. The findings, based on accounts of 101 incidents of street violence, identified four main explanations for street violence: (a) successful offence enactment, (b) buzz and excitement, (c) status and honor, and (d) informal justice. The article concludes that there might be benefits in combining the insights of both perspectives by generating an integrated theory that would properly explain both the rational and the seemingly irrational components of street violence.

Disaggregating the Relationship Between Drug Misuse and Crime

Abstract Studies on the association between drug-misuse and criminal behaviour have tended to be based on either aggregated data (composite forms of drug-misuse or offending) or data on just one or two types of drug-misuse or crime. Such studies can obscure variations in the nature of the relationship between particular drug types and particular offences. The current study uses disaggregated data derived from the NEW-ADAM (New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring) program to investigate both connections and nonconnections between drug-misuse and crime. The results show some variations in the relationship depending on the particular combinations of type of drug-misuse and type of crime. The paper concludes that the use of disaggregated data can help identify both consistencies and variations in the relationship and might help to understand its complexities and inform government policy.

Is UK drug policy evidence based

BACKGROUND All public services in the UK are expected to produce evidence-based policies. This principle was argued particularly strongly in relation to policies for tackling drug misuse. However, concerns have been expressed that commitment to this principle is not matched by the reality of policy making. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the UK drug strategy can be regarded as evidence-based. METHODS Focusing on case studies of policies implemented as part of the four main strands of the strategy, evidence reported by the government as forming the basis of the policy is examined as are findings of the published sources of evidence cited. RESULTS In most cases, the evidence was of a good quality in that it reflected the general standard of research in the area. The main problem lies in the interpretation and reporting of research results. Two of four case studies were reported as biased in terms of research study selection and in two there was some evidence that the reporting was not wholly representative of the conclusions drawn. CONCLUSION There are many factors that influence the generation of policy and it is unrealistic, and perhaps disingenuous, to suggest in relation to drugs policy, that evidence is its primary focus.

Monitoring the use of illicit drugs in four countries through the International Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (I-ADAM) program

The International Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (I-ADAM) program is a network of researchers from different countries following similar protocols for collecting urinalysis and self-reported data on drug use from detained arrestees. This article introduces the research community to this new program through basic descriptive findings. The focus of this article is not to analyze the differences found in drug use patterns in different nations. Rather, we demonstrate similarities and differences in findings in order to raise questions for future research, and to provide policy makers with information about the potential value and limitations of the I-ADAM system. Using I-ADAM data for 2000 from four countries (Australia, England, South Africa and the United States), we examine the rates of detainees testing positive for drugs and arrestee self-reports of past 12-month illicit drug use. This is followed by a comparison of results from the four different countries in terms of drugs used and offenses committed. I-ADAM has great potential to be a platform for researchers to broaden their study of the relationship between drug use and crime and examine variations in illicit drug use and their associated risk factors that are not country, nor culturally, specific.