Predisposed violent drug users versus drug users who commit violence: does the order of onset translate to...

To determine whether there were differences in drug use profiles, psychopathology, and severity of violence among regular illicit drug users in respect to the order of onset of drug use and violence.

A cross-sectional survey utilising self-report data was administered to 327 regular illicit drug users in Sydney, Australia.

Those who first committed violent crime prior to illicit drug use were found to have more serious offending patterns (greater frequency, arrest for more serious violence, earlier age of onset, and more weapon use). Being male, having a history of child abuse and greater severity of conduct disorder were independent predictors of committing violence before drug use.

Whilst the nature of the data does not permit causative conclusions, it appears that the order of onset of illicit drug use and violent crime is associated with heterogeneous offending patterns. Early onset violence was associated with more severe violent crimes in later adulthood, whereas violence which proceeded drug use was more strongly linked to systemic risks. The findings have implications for early intervention among children with conduct disorder and also for using drug and alcohol treatment services to reduce specific risks associated with violence.