The victimization of drug addict

Many studies link the drug addiction with criminal behavior, however among the populations with deviant behaviors, the drug addict composes one of the groups with the great exposure and vulnerability to victimization. Regarding aspects related to the vulnerability of the ones who present drug addiction. To this population, is often to assigned labels or created stereotypes, that contribute also to the victimization or perpetuation of the status of victim. This study, focused on the victimization of the drug addict, had a sample of 29 subjects with drug addiction, aged between 28 and 64 years old (Standard Deviation=9,7; Mean=46), mostly single or divorced, male, with school education lower then 9º grade and unemployed. The method of this study is descriptive, retrospective and cross-section study, based on a victimization questionnaire aimed at a drug addict population for data collection (Nunes & Sani, 2014). This questionnaire collects sociodemographic information about the participants and asked about situations that had victimized him in the period before and during the drug addiction and the relation with the aggressor and his possible relations with drugs consumption. This study aims to: i) typify the situations that most frequently victimize drug addicts; ii) Find out whether, the individual will have suffered from situations that victimized him before the problem of drug addiction; iii) Understand whether such situations are related to the consumption, by the victim and by the offender. The results confirmed the prevalence of consumption pattern beginning with hashish, heroin and/or cocaine, with continued consumption through life. During the drug addiction period, more than 90% of the subjects declared that they had been victims of several violent and/or criminal actions, with the offender being mostly known and related to drug markets. There was an association of these situations with the consumption of substances by both, the victim and the offender. It was possible to conclude that the violence, in its different ways, was often present in this sample. In the period before the drug addiction, more than half of the sample had experienced victimization situations. The victimization experienced by the participants, before and during the drug addiction period, had connection with drug consumptions of the victim or/and the aggressor. In conclusion, it is urgent to consider their exposure to victimization in primary prevention programs and interventions strategies in this populations, reinforce sensibilization strategies early in young populations, early identification of risk factors and invest in families support, education and treatment in this population. Fortify and reformulate the proximity interventions in this population, knowing that despite of being they can also be victims of violence and crime. The intervention and rehab programs must take in consideration the risk of victimization that this population is exposed.