Getting by with a little help from your friends: the impact of peer networks on criminality in a cohort of treatment-seeking drug users.

This study investigates the links between social networks of drug users and criminal activity. Opiate misusers (n=128) receiving in-patient treatment were interviewed about substance use, social networks, and crime in the month before treatment. Almost 60% of participants reported an average of more than 70 crimes each. Less than one-fifth of the subjects spent no time with other users, while just over half spent either "quite a lot" or "a lot" of time with drug users. Time with users increased the risk of crime. Spending no time with users provided a protective effect. Time with criminally involved drug users was associated with greater levels of crime. Social networks represent an important marker for integration in criminal networks in treatment-seeking drug users and a long-term barrier to rehabilitation.