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Relationships between problematic alcohol consumption and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to young adulthood
Author(s) -
Miller Peter G.,
Butler Erin,
Richardson Ben,
Staiger Petra K.,
Youssef George J.,
Macdonald Jacqui A.,
Sanson Ann,
Edwards Ben,
Olsson Craig A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/dar.12345
Subject(s) - alcohol consumption , psychology , early adulthood , developmental psychology , juvenile delinquency , young adult , consumption (sociology) , alcohol , sociology , biochemistry , chemistry , social science
Background Heavy episodic drinking ( HED ) has been associated with increased risk for short‐ and long‐term injury and harms, such as violence and delinquent behaviour; however, the temporal relationship between the two remains unclear, particularly on transition to young adulthood. This study investigates transactional pathways between HED and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Methods Data were drawn from the A ustralian T emperament P roject; a population‐based longitudinal study that has followed the health and development of participants (and parents) across 30 years from birth in 1982. The analytic sample was 1650 participants and included five measurement waves spanning adolescence (3 waves: 13–18 years) and young adulthood (2 waves; 19–24 years). Results There was strong continuity across waves of both HED and delinquency, as well as across‐time associations between them. Delinquent behaviour in adolescence was associated with up to twofold increases in the odds of HED at each subsequent adolescent wave. HED in the late teens was associated with over fourfold increases in the odds of persistent (two waves) HED in young adulthood. HED in the late teens was associated with increases in the odds of delinquent behaviour in young adulthood (over twofold for male and one and a half‐fold for female participants). Conclusions While delinquent behaviour predicts both future HED and future delinquent behaviour in adolescence, once young people reach the legal drinking age of 18 years, HED becomes a predictor of current and future delinquent behaviour and future HED , suggesting that increased access to alcohol increases the likelihood of young people engaging in delinquent behaviour. [Miller PG, Butler E, Richardson B, Staiger PK, Youssef GJ, Macdonald JA, Sanson A, Edwards B, Olsson CA. Relationships between problematic alcohol consumption and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to young adulthood. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:317–325]