Understanding Diverse Offending Behaviour

This essay will discuss the policies and practices that are applied to

service users who are using and/or abusing illicit substances. An

analysis will be made of the social constructions surrounding drug

use, the stereotypes, and common social beliefs. The ethics involved

when providing service to a substance user will be examined, and,

where applicable, evaluated and criticised. Practices surrounding

substance use will be discussed, as will the policies created by

Social Services and other groups to accommodate substance users. The

law will be examined, and an analysis of how substance abusers are

accommodated by society will be made.

The stereotyping of drug users is often based on information being

given to the public, whilst other information just as significant, if

not more so, is withheld. This point is made by Joseph D. McNamara,

D.P.A. (September 2000). He says of this stereotyping-

‘These cherished misconceptions are the enduring and erroneous

foundations of the ill-conceived "war on drugs."Â’

This statement is an attack on the ‘foundations’ created by society.

The word ‘enduring’ is significant; once an idea is put forward to a

group, and ‘illusory correlations’ (McNamara, 2000)0909 are made,

sub-typing and self-fulfilling prophecies quickly enforce misguided

ideas. These only ‘fuel the already misguided beliefs’. (University of

Alabama, 2001)

McNamara goes on to argue that ‘…relatively few of America's

estimated 80 million illegal drug users go on to commit other crimes.Â’

A common argument is that substance abusers are problematic in general

and that all go on to cause crime. It has been proven, however, that

this is a misconception. Only a small percentage of substance abusers

can be classed as ‘problematic’. While there are roughly four million

users of illicit substances in the United Kingdom each year, only

around one hundred thousand fund their habit by crime. (Hough et al,

DrugScope, 2000). However, Probation Service data produced in 2000 on

Pre-Sentence Reports showed that 70% of offenders had a problem with

substance misuse. This was particularly marked for those convicted of