NCJ Number
176742
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: 1998 Pages: 79-95
Date Published
1998
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study tested the hypothesis that growing up without a father, and in the poverty that is related to fatherlessness, are "root causes" of crime and drug trafficking, and possibly also of substance use for adolescent males.
Abstract
The study involved comparisons of groups of court- adjudicated, inner-city, multi-ethnic adolescent male subsamples. Boys who grew up in two-parent families (either with both biological parents or with one biological parent and a step- parent) (n=152) were compared with boys who grew up living with only their mother, and with relatively little contact with a father figure (n=153). Boys who grew up with both of their biological parents (n=94) were compared with boys who grew up living with only their mother, and with relatively little contact with a father figure (n=153). The analyses controlled for differences on 25 family-history variables and on the son's relationship with his mother and with his father. Subjects were drawn from a population of 350 adolescent male clients referred by the Family Court of Philadelphia. The findings provided no support for the hypothesis that the absence of the father is a risk factor for the son's becoming involved to a greater degree in either illegal behavior, drug trafficking, or substance use/abuse. The findings were consistent across four of the five analyses. The sons in one-parent, mother-only families tended to report less illegal and criminal behavior. Suggestions for future research are offered. 7 tables and 14 references