Book Review: Meth mania: A history of methamphetamine

• Author: Ralph A. Weisheit
• Published date: 01 September 2014
• Date: 01 September 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0734016814531777
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

residential and familial instability and, on average, report the occurrence of nine traumatic events

prior to the time in which they were incarcerated as young women.

Ryder focuses on coping strategies in Chapter 6. She outlines three behavioral strategies young

women use to cope with the stress associated with victimization, loss, and lack of parental support.

These strategies include running away from home, using drugs and alcohol, and self-harm through

cutting and suicide attempts. The presence of social support can often mitigate the negative effects

of traumatic experiences; however, the girls in this study express being mostly alone in their strug-

gle for survival. Those who ran away or left home altogether report experiencing a sense of phys-

ical escape from a stressful home environment, and those who use drugs and alcohol report a sense

of psychological escape from persistent feelings of fear and depression.

Chapter 7 brings together the stories and analysis of the preceding chapters and offers a holistic

discussion of the situational context and characteristics of violent offending. Ryder discusses four

motivational themes that reflect young women’s efforts to manage their situations while maintain-

ing control over their lives. These motivations include the use of violence to maintain a sense of

self-respect and power, the use of violence as a way to revenge and establish hierarchy, the use of

violence as a defensive strategy for themselves and others, and the use violence for financial gain.

The final chapter offers policy implications of the research. Ryder argues for reinvesting in

public education, housing, and businesses to aid the development of healthy family relati onships

in poor neighborhoods, as well as pay equity, flexible work opportunities, and adequate health

services for women living in these neighborhoods. Ryder also argues for stronger collaboration

between educational and juvenile justice institutions, less severe and evasive sanctioning for young

women, and improved community programs that offer enriching and empowering programming.

The limitation of this research includes the generalizability of the findings to boys and youth

who do not reside in poor urban neighborhoods in New York City. However, Ryder’s attention

to the voices of young women serves to further our understanding of the pathways that lead young

girls to commit violent offenses. In doing so, Ryder offers the reader a unique opportunity to hear

the stories of girls who are entrenched in the deep end of the juvenile justice system. These voices

guide Ryder’s writing, analyses, and findings and offer a passionate reading experience about why

girls engage in violence.

Parsons, N. L. (2014).

Meth mania: A history of methamphetamine. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. 243 pp. $58.50, ISBN 978-1-

58826-983-6.

Reviewed by: Ralph A. Weisheit, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016814531777

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, methamphetamine was labeled by some as a new drug scourge

and a substance that was instantly addictive. It was sometimes called the most dangerous drug on

earth. However, it wasn’t a new drug, was not instantly addictive, and was far from the most dan-

gerous drug on the Earth. The drug had been available in various forms for nearly three quarters of

a century and produces few complications when legally prescribed under the trade name Desoxyn

1

.

Doctors can legally prescribe methamphetamine for obesity, narcolepsy, and for children with

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ironically, what some have called the most dangerous

340 Criminal Justice Review 39(3)