The Influence of Respectability on Predation and Social Control

由于国家和地方社区面临着控制毒品分销和相关犯罪的挑战（例如，由于毒品犯罪（包括入室盗窃、欺诈、抢劫、谋杀）的严重性，决策者需要更多更好地了解法律在促进和限制毒品市场相关犯罪特别是暴力方面的作用，包括各种毒品类型和毒品政策。社会科学家长期以来一直认为，由于缺乏合法的争端解决机制，非法毒品市场容易受到高度掠夺和报复。然而，没有一项研究系统地研究了该领域的这一理论。该项目调查了药物市场体面（即，合法性），掠夺，报复，并在荷兰阿姆斯特丹的多样化毒品市场正式调解。阿姆斯特丹是研究毒品市场行为的理想之地，因为它的特点是三个不同的毒品市场，具有不同的法律的尊重：咖啡馆出售法律的（尽管受到管制）酒精（啤酒，葡萄酒，白酒）;咖啡店出售合法大麻（大麻和印度大麻）并购买违禁大麻;街头经销商出售违禁硬毒品（例如，摇头丸、可卡因和海洛因）。理论预测，由于街头小贩不太可能向警方报告他们的受害情况，因此他们应该比咖啡店员工参与更多的受害和报复，而咖啡店员工应该比咖啡店员工参与更多的受害和报复。这一理论将与定量和定性的数据进行检查，从采访和观察咖啡馆员工，咖啡店员工，和街头小贩。通过利用毒品市场法中的“自然实验”，该项目的研究结果将为美国和其他国家的科学家和决策者提供关于禁毒对犯罪影响的重要理论和实践见解。

As nations and local communities confront the challenge of controlling the distribution of drugs and associated crimes (e.g., burglary, fraud, robbery, murder), policymakers need more and better knowledge of the role of law in fostering and limiting drug market-related crime, especially violence, across a broad range of drug types and drug policies. Social scientists have long held that illicit drug markets are prone to high levels of predation and retaliation due to the absence of lawful dispute-resolution mechanisms. No single study, however, has systematically examined this theory in the field. This project investigates the relationship between drug market respectability (i.e., legality), predation, retaliation, and formal mediation in the diverse drug markets of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Amsterdam is ideal for a study of drug market behavior because it is characterized by three distinct drug markets with varying legal respectability: cafés selling legal (albeit regulated) alcohol (beer, wine, liquor); coffee shops selling decriminalized cannabis (marijuana and hashish) and buying prohibited cannabis; and street dealers selling prohibited hard drugs (e.g., ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin). Theory predicts that because they are less likely to report their victimization to the police, street dealers should be involved in more victimization and retaliation than coffee shop employees, who should be involved in more victimization and retaliation than café employees. This theory will be examined with quantitative and qualitative data obtained from interviews with and observations of café employees, coffee shop employees, and street dealers. By taking advantage of a "natural experiment" in drug market law, findings of this project will provide scientists and policymakers in the U.S. and other nations with important theoretical and practical insights into the effects of drug prohibition on crime.