NCJ Number
165992
Date Published
1996
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This review of the research on family life and how it relates to delinquent behavior focuses on single-parent families, marital discord, child abuse, family effect, and the interaction of variables in a family.
Abstract
The review examines the oversimplified conclusion that divorce or single parenting invariably results in adolescent misconduct. Just because a mother and father are physically present in the home does not necessarily imply that the home is psychologically "intact." Single parenthood per se is not directly related to delinquency but is often related to financial stress in the family, which can become a factor in delinquent behavior. The literature shows that child abuse and delinquency are related; however, the common observation of a "cycle of violence," in which abused children become abusing parents is not clearly supported. This paper also discusses the developmental processes that occur during adolescence when peers can take on a dominant role and parents' influence becomes less pronounced. The paper reviews some of the literature on what is a mutual interaction effect between a parent and a delinquent child. One coping strategy for parents of delinquent children is to withdraw from parenting. The bond between parent and child may become increasingly attenuated as delinquent behavior increases. This suggests that the parent-child bond is not a static concept, but one that can undergo constant change. 182 references