Racial differences in developmental patterns of social consequences of drug use

This study sought to examine differences in developmental patterns of social consequences of drug use among youth offenders and investigate the relevance of race for predicting trajectory-group assignment. The Pathways to Desistance data were used in analyses, comprising the responses of 1,354 juvenile offenders followed across 84 months after an adjudication for a serious offense. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify developmental patterns of social consequences of drug use. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relevance of covariates for predicting assignment to trajectory-groups. A five-group model of development best fits the data. Race was found to be a predictor of group assignment. White juvenile offenders were much more likely to belong to the High Chronic social consequences group. White juvenile offenders are at-risk for demonstrating high and chronic levels of social consequences stemming from drug use. Implications are discussed.