A Contemporary Analysis of Juvenile Drug Offenses and Effective Response Strategies

This study explores the current state of juvenile drug crimes in South Korea, aiming to identify effective countermeasures through comparative analysis of domestic and international policies. The research emphasizes the influence of the digital environment and structural factors in society, such as online drug distribution, weakened family systems, and social inequality. The study investigates the patterns and characteristics of juvenile drug-related offenses, examining how digital platforms—including social media, the dark web, and encrypted messaging apps—facilitate access to drugs among adolescents, thereby lowering the psychological and practical barriers to drug use. The study also considers the impact of educational gaps, community disintegration, and insufficient preventive systems on the increasing rate of youth drug involvement. A comparative analysis of international prevention models, including the U.S. Drug Courts, Japan's treatment-centered approach, and Europe's public health model, is included to examine the advantages and disadvantages of legal and social approaches for policy improvement. Based on these findings, the paper proposes multi-dimensional policy directions involving strengthening digital literacy-based prevention education, advancing enforcement technologies using AI and big data, expanding personalized treatment and rehabilitation programs, strengthening family and community support, developing a Korean-style justice-treatment-rehabilitation integrated model, and establishing multi-agency coordinated response systems. This comprehensive approach underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and proactive policy frameworks tailored to the rapidly evolving digital and social landscapes.