NCJ Number
113701
Editor(s)
F E Hagan,
M B Sussman
Date Published
1988
Length
176 pages
Annotation
Ten chapters examine the relationship between family factors and juvenile and adult deviance and criminality.
Abstract
Following a review of historical, psychological, and sociological theories of crime, a review is presented of the literature on family factors in criminality, with a particular focus on the effects of child abuse and family violence in general. Victim, offender, and other differences are examined in homicides involving family members, acquaintances, and strangers. Attitudes toward forced marital intercourse and its criminalization and factors affecting attitudes are discussed. The victim-offender relationship is considered as a determinant of police dispositions in domestic assault cases using data from Ohio. Interview data for male and female prison inmates are used to clarify the degree to which offenders blame parental punishment and physical abuse for their criminal activity. Economic and social forces affecting juvenile prostitution and attitudes and policies toward it are discussed within the context of the State's role in regulating sexual behavior. The prevalence, demography, causes, and warning signs of adolescent suicide also are reviewed. The impact of incarceration on inmates' families, particularly children, is considered in a review of the literature. Finally, the clinical utility of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale and the circumplex model of family system functioning is evaluated in a study of juvenile delinquents and their parents. Chapter notes, figures, tables, references, and a glossary.