Silent Struggles

Family Dynamics and Drug Abuse Reporting Under Harsh Laws and Stigmatizing Perceptions

Bibliographic Data

ID2153755
AuthorsNgo Hoang Thao Trang (University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City), Truong Dang Thuy (0000-0002-0480-6541, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume45
Issue12
Pages1743-1758
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeviant Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01639625.2024.2324111
OpenAlexW4392357004
LanguageEN
References cited57

Under Vietnam's stringent drug laws and prevailing negative societal attitudes toward drug users, families face challenges in reporting members dealing with drug abuse. Such underreporting poses critical challenges, including a distorted understanding of the true extent of drug abuse, hindering targeted interventions and resulting in individuals being inaccessible to vital treatment and assistance. This study focuses on the shifting family structures in rural Vietnam, particularly the transition from extended to nuclear families. While prior research indicates higher drug abuse prevalence in nuclear families, reporting dynamics present a different narrative. Analyzing data from 1,772 rural communes using a Heckman selection model, we find that increasing nuclear families correlates with a lower probability of reporting drug abuse and fewer reported drug users. This finding suggests that communities with more nuclear families may harbor a greater prevalence of unreported drug users, posing significant policy challenges. Addressing underreporting becomes crucial for informed interventions combating drug abuse in evolving rural contexts

Criminology · Dynamics (music · Perception · Political science · Child Welfare and Adoption · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology · Social Psychology

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