Resumo

PINA OSUNA, Francisco Manuel  e  POOM MEDINA, Juan. Social Deterioration and Participation in Drug Trafficking in the state of Sonora. Frontera norte [online]. 2019, vol.31, e1976.  Epub 01-Jan-2019. ISSN 2594-0260.  https://doi.org/10.33679/rfn.v1i1.1976.

This paper draws upon social theories that outline different contextual factors in law-breaking to explore the association between certain aspects of social deterioration in a sample of individuals and their participation in drug trafficking, by using a quantitative methodology and a new database obtained from the records of 371 inmates convicted of drug crimes in the state of Sonora (Mexico). The findings show that having a criminal record, using illegal drugs, poverty, educational lag, family disintegration, and residence in the state influence participation in drug trafficking. This analysis contributes to a discussion of the factors that facilitate the spread of crime in northern Mexico and notes that a deterioration in social conditions is a crucial factor in choosing to engage in criminal activity.

Palavras-chave : drug trafficking; social deterioration; prisoners; Sonora; northern Mexico.