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This retrospective case-control study of male narcotic addicts was aimed at determining whether family structure and functioning factors, self-reported retrospectively as occurring during early teen age, were associated with subsequent addiction. It contrasted a reference group of addicts with two matched control groups: their teenage associates at age 11 (peer controls), and age-peers residing in their community but not close associates (community controls). The study population was equally divided between white and black subjects. Study results showed that during early teenage intact family structure (defined here as residence in a household consisting of both natural parents) was negatively associated at statistically significant levels with addiction. Family functioning factors negatively associated with later addiction, independently of family structure, included: strong attachment to father or father figure, positive home atmosphere, strong parental adherence to traditional norms, and expected weak parental disapproval of (hypothetical) misbehaviors by subjects if these had in fact occurred. Attachment to mother or mother figure was almost equally very high among reference and control subjects and, hence, was not associated with later addiction.

In this study, we examined whether differential perceptions of poor urban neighborhoods may contribute to narcotic addiction in individuals who grow up in these neighborhoods. Three groups of adult males provided retrospective perceptions of the neighborhoods where they lived at ages 12 to 14. The groups, matched on neighborhood, age, and race, were: narcotic addicts, peer controls--a never-addicted control sample of age-11 associates of the addicts, and community controls--a never-addicted control sample of age-11 peers who did not associate with the addicts. Results suggested clear group differences in perceptions of neighborhood deviance, with addicts perceiving the greatest and community controls the least amount of deviance. However, within groups, subjects who lived in more socially deviant areas, as determined by official records, tended to view their neighborhoods as more deviant than did subjects who lived in less deviant neighborhoods.

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