NCJ Number
228239
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 344-356
Date Published
September 2009
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article outlines ways in which additional parenting tasks are practiced by the parents of young people who are involved in the youth justice system, and ways in which gender is implicated in this.
Abstract
Analysis of the 17 interviewed parents' narratives revealed the many additional tasks which come with parenting a young offender and these tasks resulted from both the young person's behavior and the consequences of the young person's involvement in the youth justice system. The additional responsibilities were gendered in particular ways which are illustrated through the consideration in the youth justice system: managing the family's involvement in the youth justice system; waiting on 'standby' from both the police and schools; and reporting the child's offending behaviors to the police. As this analysis demonstrates, parents are social actors and actively shape the way these experiences are played out through ongoing negotiations. Little research exists exploring how parenting a young offender is experienced by parents themselves. This article discusses how parenting a young offender involves specific additional responsibilities for parents who are already under scrutiny for apparently not taking their parenting responsibilities seriously. Notes and references