Post: Risk Factors of Early

¶ … post: Risk factors of early drug use and a genetic history of addiction

Gary F.'s early use of drugs was a clear risk factor that led to his development of an addiction and criminal behavior later in life. Using drugs fundamentally alters the reward structure of the brain, and young people with developing brains are particularly vulnerable to being affected. Gary F. felt he had few career prospects, and because of his involvement in 'drug culture,' selling drugs on the streets seemed like a more viable option than staying in school. Combined with an environment where drug use was normalized and a lack of adequate adult role models both in school and at home, Gary F.'s descent into addition seems easily explained (Burkhead 2006: 24).

Nurture as well as nature also plays a role in addiction. Not everyone who tries drugs and alcohol at a young age becomes addicted, but Gary F.'s biological mother was an alcoholic, so it is likely that Gary F. was very vulnerable to alcohol addiction because of his genetic makeup (Burkhead 2006: 24-25). In Gary F.'s case, environment combined with biology made him vulnerable to using drugs, and a school and home environment which suggested that his career prospects were dim further incentivized going down this path in life.

It is possible that an intervention at some point could have helped Gary F. lead a more productive life. Even if Gary F. tried drugs at a young age, having a sense of a future could have mitigated the attractiveness of selling drugs on the street and made him question if this was the best way for him to make money. Not trying drugs so early might also have given his brain time to develop and made him less vulnerable to being addicted to drugs and alcohol. However, the two combined -- genetics and environment -- proved to be a toxic combination.

Writing assignment

The comparison of the cases of Gary F. And Gary G. is designed to illustrate how environmental and biological factors alike can have a profound influence on the development of criminal behavior. Gary G. was born to a stable, middle-class household where law-abiding behavior was encouraged. Moreover, because Gary G. expected to go to college like his parents and enter into a profession, he did not want to jeopardize his future prospects with criminal behavior or drug addiction (Burkhead 2006: 23). Although Gary G. was exposed to drugs recreationally, the risks outweighed the potential pleasure he received from them. Gary G. was apparently fascinated by crime and criminal deviancy, and channeled that into a future career as a criminologist (Burkhead 2006: 23). His environment was stable, and he was provided with many advantages in the form of support for his education. His physiological and safety needs were always satisfied. The fact that he came from a successful family may also suggest a genetic link in terms of his later success in life which protected him against addiction.

In contrast, Gary F. was born to an unwed mother who was only sixteen years old. She had no support structure and Gary's main male role models had served prison time (his maternal grandfather and two uncles, as well as his father, the latter of whom he never had a relationship). Just as education and aspirations were 'normalized' for Gary G., criminal behaviors were normalized for Gary F. At a very young age (Burkhead 2006: 24). Also, there may be genetic factors which predispose certain individuals to aggressive behavior which makes them more susceptible to crime. This was combined with evidence of a genetic tendency towards addiction in the form of alcohol. His mother was very ambivalent about having a child and there may have been some developmental problems caused because of a lack of prenatal care. Gary G.'s home environment was extremely chaotic and he had no stable caregivers. He also sustained a trauma to the head at a young age, and concussions and early head injuries are linked to asocial behavior (Burkhead 2006: 24-25).

There was little institutional support for Gary F. He did not go to preschool, and a possible learning disability was undiagnosed and untreated in his chaotic school system (Burkhead 2006: 24). He was exposed to alcohol very early in life and drinking was quickly 'normalized' for him as acceptable behavior. He began smoking and engaging in sex very early in life, due to his unsupervised existence. Although he tested as having above-average intelligence, he had no 'advocates' within the system in the form of teachers or coaches because he did poorly in school, he did not participate in extracurricular activities and because his mother's drinking problem left her unable to supervise her son. With no role models or viable career prospects, Gary F. quickly fell into a life of crime. He dropped out of school and began selling marijuana (Burkhead 2006: 24).