PERSONALITY-VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL-USE IN YOUNG OFFENDERS

The study reported here examines the relationship between personality variables and use of alcohol in young offenders. Use of alcohol was considered in 2 forms, frequency of getting drunk and offending under the influence. In accordance with previous work in non-delinquent subjects, frequency of getting drunk was associated with high Psychoticism (P) and Impulsiveness (I) scores. Alcohol-related offending was associated with Extraversion. Alcohol use was also considered in relation to use of other drugs, gambling, and reported drink problems in subjects' parents. Drug use was associated with high P and I scores, and in addition with Neuroticism, low Self-Esteem and high State Anxiety and Depression (SAD). Children of problem-drinking parents had the lowest mean Self-Esteem and highest mean SAD scores of all.