Abstract
This article examines the types of drugs, their effects, and how they influence sex crime. Many people who commit crimes are either under the influence of alcohol or drugs. There seems to be a connection between drugs and offenses such as sexual assault, rape among others. Various drugs have different dangers associated with them. Sedative drugs slow down the way the brain and the body operate, stimulant drugs increase energy and keep people alert while hallucinogenic drugs may lead to very disturbing experiences and expose the user to dangerous behavior. Moreover, individuals who are under the influence of narcotics are prone to committing sexual assault. Some people who are under alcohol or substance control are susceptible to sexual assault. They can be either victims or culprits of the act. Furthermore, the dangers of a drug will depend on how it is consumed and the amount consumed. An overdose can lead to fatal states of health. How the drug is taken can also determine how fast the user feels the effect of a drug.
Introduction
The scientific literature frequently talks about the statistical connection between drug consumption and criminal behavior. However, there is no enough information to prove that this relationship exists, and specify what impact they have on crime. The use of these substances has two major effects: addiction and intoxication. They are related, respectively, to the economic-compulsive and the psychopharmacological models of the connection between drugs and their related crimes (Tham, 2012).
The psychopharmacological model associates drug use and intoxication with fall in cognitive functions and no self-control, which further leads to violence, aggressive impulses and lack of inhibitions. It also refers to the high costs associated with addiction to certain drugs. An addict would need to engage in lucrative criminal activities so that they may get money to pay for them. This paper attempts to define the relationship between illicit drugs, alcohol, and criminal behavior taking into consideration the types of drugs consumed and the type criminal action displayed.
Drugs
Different drugs have varied dangers associated with them. Drugs are categorized into three. They include sedative, stimulant, and hallucinogenic. Sedative drugs include drugs such as tranquilizers, heroin, and alcohol. These drugs have sedative effects that make them slow down the way the brain and the body work (Tham, 2012). They can have a numbing effect that results to drowsiness if taken in large quantity. Other drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine, and crack have a stimulant effect of increasing energy and making people alert. While the hallucinogenic drugs such as magic mushrooms, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and a lesser extent ecstasy and cannabis have a hallucinogenic effect. It means that they try to alter the way its user hears, feels, sees or even smells.
Sedative drugs can lead to a deadly overdose if taken a lot. They can also affect coordination thus making it easier for accidents to happen. Using narcotics can also lead to withdrawal symptoms and physical dependence while other drugs like cannabis cannot. On the other hand, stimulants can lead to anxiety or even panics if they are taken in large quantities. Besides, they can also be harmful to individuals with high blood pressure and heart problems. Hallucinogenic drugs, however, may lead to very disturbing experiences and may eventually force the user into dangerous behaviors, especially if he or she is already not stable (Tham, 2012). Of course, there are drugs which are legal while others are not. Thus, being arrested or convicted may cause all sorts of problems.
Additionally, the dangers of drug use will also depend on how much or how often it is taken, other things in the drug, how the drug is taken, and drug mixtures. The more the drug consumed, the greater the danger. Too much of sedative can lead to a deadly overdose. A Large dose of the stimulant drug can result to panic attacks and in severe cases cause psychotic behavior. Taking too much of hallucinogenic may lead in worrying experiences. Consuming a large dose of various drugs can result in the lack of co-ordination and raise the possibility of accidents (Goodman & Graham, 2011).
Moreover, taking drugs more often can lead to higher risks to health, especially if the body has not been given time to recover fully. With some drugs like cocaine, a tolerance may develop resulting in more needs to be in use to keep getting the effect. Taking the equal amount of drug needed with high tolerance levels can lead to an overdose. All the drugs do not produce tolerance. For example, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) safeguards itself from tolerance. It just stops working if taken too frequently.
Furthermore, additional substances in drugs and drug mixing can be fatal. If there are other elements combined with the drug, especially the illegal drugs that are informed of pill or powder form, it can result in the change of the drug effects and contribute to dangers (Beckett & Schubotz, 2014). Also, when the drug is mixed with another drug, it can produce unpredictable, dangerous effects. When a sedative drug is mixed with another drug, they can be very dangerous. Numerous reported cases of overdoses involve mixtures of tranquilizers and alcohol.
Besides, the method used in taking the drug will influence its effects and possible dangers. Drugs that are taken through injection have quick, intense effects on the user. Snorting drugs have quick but slightly less severe effects while smoking drugs sometimes produce slower but more subtle effects. Otherwise, eating or drinking a drug causes the most delayed effects (Tham, 2012).
Consequently, the dangers of a drug also vary with the method that is used when taking them. For example, the snorting drug such as cocaine and amphetamine powders the nose regularly and can lead to the damage of the nasal membranes though this risk sometimes has been exaggerated. Besides, the injecting is riskier because it is not easy to determine the amount being taken (Beckett &Schubotz, 2014). It also carries blood infection risks due to the shared injecting equipment. HIV, which is the virus that causes AIDS, has been given the highest profile, but the risks from hepatitis are also very severe blood borne disease.
Other than that, drinking or eating can be fatal if taken in large quantity at once. The effect is slow, but when it reaches its maximum, it could be too late to do anything about it. Also, there are dangerous ways of inhaling glues, aerosols, and gasses. Squirting these solvents in a plastic bag then placing the bag over the head has led suffocation death. Squirting aerosols straight down the throat have caused death through freezing of the breathing system (Goodman & Graham, 2011). Smoking is not as dangerous as the other method, but can damage the respiratory system if the drug smoked is tobacco, as in the case with cannabis.
Influence on Sex Crimes
People under the influence of drugs can have different reactions to the drug. They can become aggressive, angry, passive aggressive, happy, social or depressed. Engaging in chronic hazardous drug abuse increases the risk of exhibiting dangerous behaviors, and even losing control of one's behavior. When a person is strongly intoxicated, they may be involved in sex crime. For example, in sexual assault, most of the time, the offender or the victim has been under the influence of a drug. Research shows that, while under drug influence, men are more likely to interpret women’s clothes, smile, body language, and laughter as confirmation that she wants to have sex.
Substance abuse also causes lowered inhibitions and impaired judgment, making it easier to avoid doing the right thing and force sex on an unwilling colleague. Assailants to their advantage use the fact that drugs can impair the ability of the victim to recognize and slow reflexes and react to a potentially risky situation. Those women who get assaulted under the influence of drugs always find themselves to be blamed. Men who are convicted of rape due to the influence of drugs always blame it on the drugs (Goodman & Graham, 2011). It is believed that the person who committed an offense is always liable, never the victim.
Perpetrators frequently use drugs as a weapon for sexual assault. Crack cocaine and methamphetamine are associated with a condition called hypersexuality. This condition is defined as extreme sexual urges that are compulsive and aggressive. Those who suffer from this problem when they are under the influence of drugs always have the desire to engage in abusive and violent sexual conduct, engage in risky unprotected sex, and in compulsive masturbation. These sexual urges can lead to committing rape and sexual assaults in some cases. People who are under the influence of drugs can become sexually aroused, aggressive, and violent. They may attack somebody who is also drunk; commit spousal rape, and take advantage of someone who is intoxicated (Beckett & Schubotz, 2014).
The sexual assault caused by an unconscious state of body and mind. It happens to female victims who are enjoying alcohol drink in a favorable environment. They often find themselves suddenly not knowing where they are. When they gain consciousness, many hours later, they often find themselves in a different location, with signs that they have been sexually assaulted, evidence being the disarranged clothes, bruises vaginal or semen soreness (Beckett & Schubotz, 2014). She felt the effects of drugs such as wooziness, confusion or weakness, but had little or no memory of what she went through. In some situations, her attacker disappeared after the act, in others, the attacker would behave as if he knows nothing of what happened to her and perhaps even offer to drive her either to the hospital or home.
Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault may occur between employers and employees, in the healthcare, and even in the social or school setting. In the situations where employees are vulnerable because of not wanting to lose their jobs, the employer may take her to dinner, drug her then sexually assault her. Patients also can be raped by a doctor after they have been given sedative drugs (Goodman & Graham, 2011). Some people used a drug for the purpose of luring their partners in sexual abuse. For example, in the year 1990, the Canadian serial killers; Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka gave valium drug to Karla's sister Tammy after which she was raped by Paul. A year later they again they gave her an animal tranquilizer halothane drug and raped her, after which she died after getting choked on her vomit (Tham, 2012). Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault victims, feels depressed and completely powerless: unable to fight back or even comprehend what happened to them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study clearly shows that there is the connection between drug abuse and sexual crimes. However, the study also reveals that this regard can assume many forms. Intoxication can prevent cognitive functions thus leading to fatal situations human health. Drugs abuse can also result in sexual assault and exacerbate a person’s aggressive behavior. Moreover, the drug user can risk being sexually assaulted or can also assault someone else due to the influence of a drug. Lastly, excessive use of drugs, mixing of drugs, and inappropriate use of drugs may lead to death.
References
Beckett, H., &Schubotz, D. (2014). Young people's self-reported experiences of sexual exploitation and sexual violence: a view from Northern Ireland. Journal Of Youth Studies, 17(4), 430-445.
Goodman-Delahunty, J., & Graham, K. (2011). The influence of victim intoxication and victim attire on police responses to sexual assault[*]. Journal Of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, 8(1), 22-40.
Tham, H. (2012). The Influence of the Drug Issue on Criminal Policy.JournalOf Scandinavian Studies In Criminology & Crime Prevention, 1312-30.
